


Godwoken

by Slywyn



Category: Divinity: Original Sin (Video Games), Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Video Games)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-10-10 17:42:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 75
Words: 220,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20531999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slywyn/pseuds/Slywyn
Summary: Godwoken: Mythical champions of the gods themselves, chosen for their potential to become Divine. Vaeltorya had heard the term before but never could have imagined she could be one of them. Soon she will be referred to as many other titles. Hero. Villain. Savior. Sourcerer. Warrior. Perhaps even 'Divine'.With companions and alone, she'll have to travel the length and breadth of Rivellon to discover what she was chosen for and why.





	1. Sourceror

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure this has been done a billion times before but goddamnit this game starts so strong and then ends on such a flat note in my opinion.
> 
> This is my vain and futile and unlikely-to-be-finished(as everything I ever do is) attempt to right at least some of the wrongs that I see.

Several weeks ago if you had asked Vaeltorya what a 'Godwoken' was, she wouldn't have been able to tell you. It wasn't a term she'd ever heard before in her life. Now, on her hands and knees amid the fiery ruins of her failure, she'd heard it uttered in reverence, in awe, as an accusation, as an affirmation, in hope, and fear and now, in raw, primal anger. The hand on the grip of her greatsword tightened as blood leaked from the corners of her mouth through clenched teeth, the fury inside of her raging as hard as it had done moments ago before Zorl-Stissa had lept from her in blistering, burning, blinding rage.

She had never asked to be Godwoken, had never desired to be the champion of a God that she had never truly revered, never asked to be called upon to save the world. She'd left the Ancient Empire weeks ago intending to travel to Driftwood where she'd heard an archaeological dig had been ongoing, to see what might be learned. She'd been a simple scholar then, albeit one who'd received some military training when she was younger. Her violet scales had been stained with her blood many times before, but it'd never been at the hands of something Divine, not like this.

Vael slowly pushed herself up to her feet, looking at the shimmering star-backed blackness in her mirrored shape that stood before her. Her God was faster, stronger than she was, knew more, had millennia of experience on her side... but one of the reasons that Vaeltorya had been chosen, in Zorl-Stissa's own words was because she simply did. not. give. up.

She wasn't about to start now.

Source flared around her as the soldier-turned-scholar-turned-godwoken felt the flames of her rage become corporeal, burning around her with a heat that matched the boiling lava of the shattered Wellspring as she charged. Charged into destiny, against the odds, into history.

Against a God.

\-----

The day had started so well, too. She'd gotten off the boat in Driftwood after a long sea journey from the Empire to find the place seemingly dying a slow death. Magisters around every corner, food shortages on the lips of every townsperson she passed as she disembarked. She hefted her bag over her left shoulder, weighted down with books and scrolls and sealed ink vials, her robes swirling in beautiful colors that complemented her violet scales, streaked with glistening golden stripes.

Vibrantly blue eyes scanned the town around her, frowned at the smell of rotting and rotten fish as it assailed her nostrils. She turned to the nearest person she could find who looked native, a Magister judging by the red and golden robes the woman wore. "Excuse me, but what is up with these fish?" She wished she'd learned to keep her mouth shut.  
Before the woman could answer her question the dog at her side growled a warning, that growl soon turning to an alarmed bark. The canine advanced upon the confused scholar who stumbled back against the edge of the dock as the Magister drew her crossbow. Vael attempted to raise her arms to shield herself, but another Magister she hadn't seen slapped a binding around her wrist before she could react.

The accusations came fast and furious then. Sourceror. A word she'd heard before but only in whispers. Not a word ever directed toward her, personally. She didn't have any source, did she? She'd never manifested magic, never set anything on fire, at least not any more than any other lizard could! She did have a temper, that she'd always known, but surely that didn't qualify... did it?

They'd taken her things from her, her gold, her belongings, her beautiful robes. Her robes had been a gift from her mother before she'd left, they were still brand new, barely broken in, they still smelled of the scented perfumes that had filled the tailor's shop back home. She'd been collared, shackled, searched, stuffed in a cage with three others, a human, a dwarf and an elf that seemed obsessed with dice. At least the human had been kind to her, to some degree, giving her a little space.

She rattled the bars of her cage in desperation, demanding to know why they'd pulled her in, what she'd done other than ask a question, but she'd been ignored. Vael had finally given up after hours of unanswered cries, sinking to her knees in her cage, her tail coiled around her legs.

"What did they bring you in for?", the human finally asked.

Vaeltorya heaved a quiet sigh and slowly pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her knees as she did. "I don't rightly know." That drew a chuckle from the others in the cage and Vael couldn't help but feel her anger flare. "I don't! I asked a question, a dog growled at me, and now I'm here."

"Source hound, then. Me, I might have gotten a little too drunk at the tavern." The human gave her a rogueish sort of grin, gesturing to himself with a thumb. "The name's Ifan ben-Mezd. This here is Sebille." The elf barely registered a grunt, though Vael imagined she knew why she wasn't on speaking terms, judging by the slave-mark on her cheek- something Vael had never particularly been comfortable with back home. "The Dwarf's Gil."

The Dwarf in question certainly looked as if he was trying to make himself as small as possible, huddled in the back of the cage furthest away from the Magisters. Sebille continually rolled dice, clutching what looked like a small sewing needle between her teeth. Elves had always creeped Vael out just a little bit, she'd never been able to stomach their practice for eating the dead, they deserved a proper pyre, not to be lunch...  
The lizard nodded her head at the introductions, their current conditions in the cage didn't even seem to be that strange, many of them had three, four, sometimes more prisoners in them, all wearing collars. "Are these all Sourcerors? There's so many, I never would have thought-"

She was interrupted by the call of 'Shut up in there!' and something solid impacting the back of her head, a rock or a stick or a bottle, she never knew. She slumped forward into Ifan's arms as the darkness took her, and she knew no more.

\-----

When Vaeltorya awoke next, she was alone, which was an improvement, but she was shackled to a slab of wood that was anything but. Metal bands wrapped around her arms and legs in what looked like some kind of laboratory if her experience told her anything, her head groggy from something that definitely wasn't the impact to the back of it, she'd been knocked unconscious by impact before, and these effects were definitely chemical. Had she been drugged after she'd fallen unconscious in the cage? Her body ached in a way that she didn't have a reason for either, she felt like she'd been poked and prodded and bruised in her sleep, she was even missing a few of her beautiful scales!

A Magister she didn't recognize walked into view and did something at the base of her slab that unlocked her restraints, allowing Vael to sit up, rubbing gently at her neck where it had been just a little too tight. The ground beneath her lurched, for a moment she thought she was going to heave, but a distant slosh at the planks told her exactly where she was- a ship. She wasn't nauseous, at least not enough to make her world spin... she was in the hold of a boat.

"Still groggy? Perhaps I used too much sedative..." The Magister woman had an air of something vaguely... 'wrong' about her, something Vael couldn't quite place. "Join me upstairs when you feel like you can walk. We have so much to talk about!"

Vael stared in silence as the woman promptly turned and climbed a ladder, disappearing higher into the ship. A raised brow followed, then the lizard woman looked around her surroundings, frowning at where she'd been left. She didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity of it, cry at the suddenness of it, or some combination of the two. She wondered how long she'd been unconscious for, but her internal clock could tell her nothing. She was vaguely hungry but that's all she knew.

As much as she wanted to find a corner and cry, she knew that wouldn't accomplish anything. She followed her nose to the desk before her, discovering a bit of bread and cheese and half a cup of water. She didn't know whose it was, but her grumbling stomach and dry mouth weren't in the mood for questions.

She breathed a quiet little sigh, her frills flattening slightly against her head as she lifted the bread in one hand and the cup of water in the other. Eating someone's discarded lunch while prisoner aboard a ship headed to who-knows-where is not a situation she'd ever imagined herself in. "Oh well. Nothing for it but to do as asked, I suppose."

Vael lifted her bread to her lips and took a bite, chewing as she looked up the ladder the Magister had climbed. As she considered, a thought crept into her mind, quiet enough that she thought it was her own. _'Ascend.'_

"Soon enough, soon enough." The lizard mumbled to herself. "Soon enough."

How right she was.


	2. The Hold

With her impromptu lunch finished and her hunger and thirst satisfied, at least for now, Vaeltorya decided the only way forward was up. She'd had a little look around her current deck and aside from a sheep and a locked door, she hadn't seen anything of interest. She quickly climbed the ladder to find herself face to face once more with the odd Magister from before. The woman introduced herself as Magister Siwan, prodded her a little more, asked her to try to cast Source.

Even with some (overenthusiastic, in her opinion) prodding from the Magister, she didn't manage anything. In her defense, she'd never in her life before now cast Source, she didn't know how it was done, she didn't know how to access this power she supposedly had, she wasn't even sure she really had this special ability that she was accused of. The attempt seemed to be enough for the Magister, however, and Vael was given direction. She was to seek out another Magister further along in the ship, someone named Payde, in order to find another Magister named William.

Standing here next to Siwan, however, she found a different smell wafting its way toward her. Something she'd recognized from battlefields and triage tents back in the Empire. Blood. Her curiosity piqued, she began to walk down the hallway indicated to her by Siwan, though to be fair it was the only way to go at the moment that wasn't back down the hatch. Two more Magisters stood outside of an open doorway and a peek inside- from a respectful distance of course- revealed exactly where the smell was coming from and why it had come on so strong.

What she assumed to have once been a man lay in a jumbled heap on the floor, a bloodied mess of gore and limbs laying in a quickly-stagnating puddle of blood. With her recently-eaten cheese and bread threatening to come back up, Vael had to look away. "Was someone murdered?!"

One of the Magisters at the door sneered at her. "Get a good, long look, Sourceror. One of your kind did this, with your magic. I wonder why we don't just throw you all in the sea."

Vael bristled, a growl threatening to rise in the back of her throat before she forced it back down. Despite her aching desire to clock this stupid Magister in the face for his remarks, she decided that would only end poorly with her unconscious again- or worse. "This managed to happen under your watch. I'm not sure if you're incompetent or complicit."

Taken aback by her response, the Magister didn't speak, though the woman standing on the other side of the door had to stifle a smile. Surprised by her own brazenness, Vael decided that leaving as quickly as her claws could take her was probably the most prudent course of action at the moment. Another doorway opened into some kind of hold, a communal space that seemed to house quite a few prisoners like herself. She recognized most of them, either from sharing the same cage with her before or having glanced across them back on the docks. She couldn't help the slight pull at her heartstrings as she realized some of them were only children. Human children, but children all the same. They must have homes, families, to be torn away from them...

Her thoughts were interrupted as one of the passengers, a woman surrounded by a few of the children, hailed her with a quiet 'psst!' and a gesture of her head once Vael looked up. The reptilian woman strode over, curious why she was being hailed by a stranger. She heard one of the children say something about 'Lohse' while tugging at the woman's coat.

The woman introduced herself with some overblown name, but Vael could tell that she was just trying to get the children off her back. She gathered from the snippets she could overhear while trying to listen to what the woman wanted that she was supposed to be some kind of famous singer, the children kept asking her to sing. Lohse politely declined, suggesting that Vael was some kind of partner of hers, and the reptilian woman went along with the charade, at least until Lohse gave up on it.

She smiled and laughed and told the children she'd sing for them later, gently shooing them onward, before she turned her attention to Vael more fully. "Thanks for the assist, I'm Lohse." She held out a hand toward Vael.

Vaeltorya took the offered hand and gave it a good, strong shake, eliciting a wince and a somewhat-pained smile from the human. She could have sworn she saw something flicker behind the woman's eyes for a moment but dismissed it as a trick of the light. They made small talk for a bit, but Lohse indicated she had a headache, so Vael moved on. Across the room she spotted a few others, the Dwarf she'd shared a cage with talking to another Dwarf, the Human Ifan who'd been somewhat kind to her before and- she paused as her eyes lay across another Kin. She hadn't even registered him before, red scales surely couldn't be kin, but...

Her eyes widened when she realized who it must be, what 'luck', she'd ended up on the ship with him. Vael couldn't stop the rising curiosity though, was he really as bad as the stories said? She plucked herself up slightly, as much as she could manage with rough cloth that had seen better days, probably even previous owners that did nothing at all to flatter her scales, then slowly made her way over toward him. He was currently berating a cook who looked like she was trying her best not to laugh at him.

She heard something about 'twelve courses'- who even tried to eat that much food!?- before he realized she had approached him. He turned and in a swift motion brought up his hand, cupping her chin as he leaned in closer. She flailed for a moment, thrown off balance by him yanking down on her head- she was at least a foot taller than he was- before she just stared at him.

"Some slight discoloration but nothing out of the norm. Can you cook?", he asked as nonchalantly as she'd ever heard anyone ask with someone else's chin in their hand.

"Excuse me?" She tugged her head away from him with a swipe of her hand, frowning as she ran a claw over her chin to ensure that he hadn't loosened any scales.

He just sighed dramatically and asked another question. "What about tailoring? Can you do that? Sew? Wash clothes?"

Completely flabberghasted she just stared at him. "Are you the Red Prince?", she finally managed to ask, which seemed to throw him off his stride.

He drew himself up and placed a hand on his chest. "The one and the same. Are you another assassin? I've fought off two just this week.", he spoke with all the bravado that a preening male could be expected to offer.

Though she was at least slightly impressed- he was good looking after all- she was still put off by what he'd been doing and asking moments before. "Heavens no, I'm just another passenger."

"Oh well. I don't think you'd make good slave stock, either. Run along." Just like that, he turned back to the cook.

She pursed her lips and had half a mind to cuff him around the back of the head, but at the same time she really wasn't in the mood for it, all the fight had gone out of her and she didn't imagine she could even muster half a good punch at the moment. She did crack his ankle with her tail as she stalked off, but she wasn't sure he even noticed he was so engrossed in demanding that he get a proper dinner.

Vael finally made her way to her intended target, the Human from before, Ifan. He seemed to be talking with a Magister who was watching over them, but he stopped and looked to her with a smile half-hidden behind his beard. She could tell already that the two of them would get along if they weren't separated when they arrived wherever this ship was headed toward, they seemed kindred spirits in some ways. "Hello again", she greeted him as cordially as she could in her present mood.

"I see the Magister's spear-haft didn't do any permanent damage." He leaned against the wall in a way that reminded Vael of some of the soldiers she'd seen before who'd spent most of their lives fighting. Ready to spring off at a moment's notice, like a cat waiting to pounce- or, for some reason she couldn't yet fathom for this particular man, like a wolf in waiting.

She lifted a hand and rubbed gently along the back of her head, a scale felt bruised but nothing that wouldn't heal on its own over time. "No, it takes more than that to put me down for good... how long was I out for?"

"Couple of days. Long enough for them to put us on the boat for Fort Joy. When they took you below I thought you'd be gone for good."

Vael shook her head with a glance back toward where she'd come from. "No, they seemed to save all their attention for someone else."

"I heard about that. We all heard the screams, then the Magisters escorted someone back that way." He gestured off toward the other side of the boat. "William and someone else went with them."

Vael suddenly remembered what she was actually supposed to be doing. "William! Right, I was meant to check in with him. I suppose I should do that." She stood away from the wall and moved to head off.

"Yes, you probably should. Find me if you see me on Joy, I imagine we could watch each other's back." Ifan held out a hand toward her as Lohse had done.

Vael smiled, taking the hand and giving him a firm shake in return. "I think I just might. See you soon, Ifan."

He gestured with a hand like a casual salute- Vael thought he had some military in him- as she headed onward. She met another Magister at the door, but unlike many of the others, he actually smiled as she approached him. "Well then! If it isn't sleeping beauty, how's your head?"

She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes slightly at him, then decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Much better. Is William in there?"

He nodded, then hooked a finger over her shoulder. "Sure is. You should go get signed in. They're talking to one of the other Sourcerors, some crazy lady we picked up with you lot. Be careful around that one in Joy." He pulled the door open then gestured for her to head on in.

She wasn't sure what to make of him, the only Magister she'd seen so far who'd seemed to genuinely care about her and didn't immediately want her dead, but she supposed she should be glad there were some like him if she was meant to be going to wherever this 'Joy' was. Name aside, she didn't imagine she'd be having a good time there.

A quick step down a hallway brought her to see three magisters standing near a positively-ancient-looking woman wearing a collar just like hers, probably the one they were questioning about the murder. Vael expected that they had things well enough in hand with the three of them against whoever it was, so she clasped her hands behind her back and stood a short distance away. She'd just wait for them to be done, talk to the Magisters and then- She realized the ancient woman was staring right at her and she pulled herself out of her thoughts.

"Others whose lives must end", the woman croaked, while staring straight at Vael.

"Excuse me, what?", the surprised lizard answered in return. She bristled, a growl rising in her throat. She'd been threatened twice now and imprisoned and all she'd done was get off a boat in Driftwood! She shifted her feet, taking a stance that'd make it easier to run or fight depending on what kind of situation presented itself, half-forgotten training rising to the fore.

The woman just smiled as the Magister barked an order in Vael's direction, telling her to run for help. "It means your journey is over." The decrepit woman just... removed her collar with a gesture, the metal falling to the floor with a clang and clatter.

The hackles on the back of Vael's neck rose, her frills fanning out around her head. Upon seeing that, every part of her body told her to run- but she was rooted to the wood where she stood as well as if someone had nailed her in place. "Subdue her, if she casts Source the Voidwoken will come!"

"The what?", Vael barely managed to ask before the woman did something that Vael had never seen before.

She muttered a quiet 'precisely' as she rose into the air, and Vael could FEEL the power gathering around her- she had no idea if this confirmed that she herself did have Source, or if the woman was just so strong that anyone could pick up on it. The woman threw out her arms and legs and a burst of power that rippled the air around her ripped through the ship, shattering windows, sending the clutter on a nearby table scattering to the four winds. The Magisters standing near her simply exploded in a shower of blood and guts and for a split second Vael swore that she saw a rippling shield of fire rise in front of her before she was thrown back into the bulkhead behind her. For the second time since she'd gotten off the boat in Driftwood, Vael felt herself falling into the inky pit of unconsciousness.

Something warm trickled down the back of her head and Vael knew as she spiraled down that she wasn't likely going to wake soon- if whatever these 'Voidwoken' were showed up she was probably food. Something warm suffused her though, and she felt the back of her head knitting together as she drifted off.

_'Not yet, Champion. Not yet.'_


	3. Shipwreck

Vael's first thought as she swam slowly back to consciousness was that she should very quickly at the first opportunity possible invest in a helmet of some kind. This was the second time in recent memory that a blow to the back of the head had sent her to the floor in a heap and it was already starting to lose the very small amount of charm that it managed to have. She pushed herself away from the wall with a pained groan, her head wasn't the only thing aching currently as she opened her eyes.

The windows at the back of the ship had been shattered to various degrees, letting in seawater spray that was starting to create a somewhat alarming amount of water inside of the cabin. On top of that, there were scattered patches of flame starting to eat away at the wood of the ship, but the sealing of a life at sea and the fact that there was plenty of mist and spray being splattered on the flames were keeping them to a minimum. Vaeltorya was under no impression that the ship wasn't doomed, it just wasn't doomed yet.

She pushed herself to her feet and was almost immediately assailed by the smell of smoke, but more worryingly also the scent of charred and cooking flesh. The magisters who'd been exploded by whatever the woman had done had also been set on fire, what a way to go. She winced and took to her feet, starting to push her way back through the ship to try to see who else might have survived. The others she'd seen before seemed to be in various degrees of death and unconsciousness, though at least one of the Dwarves and most of the children seemed to be missing.

Vael tried to wake some of the others, but none of them seemed to wish to stir, even Ifan was out cold and didn't react at all to her attempts to wake him. She tried slapping, yelling, splashing water at them but nothing that she did seemed to have any effect whatsoever. The lizard frowned but eventually decided that she'd just have to move on- it didn't help that something was nagging at the back of her mind and telling her that she really needed to leave, a feeling that something very, very bad was about to happen.

She quickly found a set of stairs that didn't seem blocked and headed upward, ascending to a higher deck. Whatever had befallen the lower decks had also found its way up here, though apparently to a lesser degree. Rather than be exploded into giblets the Magisters up here were merely dead. One laying at the base of the stairs she'd walked up still clutched a sword in his hands, a long thing that for a human would have been a massive blade but for Vael was simply large. She hefted it and tested the grip as she looked around herself, she didn't have any idea if the crazy old woman was still here or if she'd need to defend herself; if a Magister found her she could just drop it.

Now armed, she continued deeper into the ship. Aside from the bodies everywhere that Vael checked just to see if anyone was alive- they weren't- she didn't see anyone else. Aside from the others down below and some strange pounding sound on the wood of the hull she seemed to be almost completely alone in the ship. A raised portion running along the centerline of the ship was intermittently on fire and a door was marked with the symbol for Deathfog- she was going to give that the widest berth possible and just be glad that none of the barrels or crates had cracked open just yet.

She stayed over here on her side of the ship, not wanting to stray too far from what seemed like a clear path, and was soon rewarded with the sight of a stairwell further up. This one she could hear the sea itself clearly behind and imagined that she wasn't too far from being up on deck at last. The lizard quickly scurried upward as fast as her claws could take her, breaking free into the open air of the sea, immediately splashed by a wave for her efforts. No wonder the ship had been rocking and rolling as much as it was before, it looked like they were in the middle of a storm!

Then her eyes caught something that sent a shiver from her fins down to the tip of her tail, some kind of massive tentacle was wrapped around the back of the ship. She heard a scream and looked forward, for a moment she could sympathize entirely with the man screaming. He was surrounded by some kind of horrible insect creatures scurrying on far too many legs, but before she could even move to attempt to help him, another tentacle raised itself over the side of the ship.

Struck still by the sight and horror of it all, Vael could only watch as the thing slammed down on the Magister with a sickening crunch, sending his weapon skittering over the side of the ship and his shield flying off across the deck. She diverted her eyes at the moment of impact, but she knew the sound of it would haunt her dreams. Another sound quickly brought her back to the hear and now, however- a voice. This time, though, it wasn't coming from within, oh no. This one was coming from the **bugs**.

"You. I know you.", one of the things intoned in a voice that was both far too deep and far too intelligent to be coming out of any kind of creature that looked anything like the one that began to scurry toward her.

With no other options and now officially freaked out that some kind of murderous sea-beast seemed to know who she was, Vael raised her weapon and screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn't care what happened in the next few moments other than one simple fact- these things needed to die or her head just might explode from the absurdity of it all. Vael rushed forward toward the things and brought her weapon down with a satisfying squelching crunch on top of the nearest one, nearly cutting it in half lengthways. Goo and bits of something squidgy splattered across her clothes and scales, but she didn't care. She raised her weapon again, a slice bisecting one of the creatures horizontally almost halfway through, and another slam crushed the other under the flat of her blade.

Vael breathed heavily as she stared down at the crushed and bleeding things, her eyes wild. Even though she knew she was probably about to die and was going to go down with the ship, she'd never felt so alive before. She supposed that was pretty normal for someone in a life or death situation, but even her service for the Empire had never brought her this feeling that she could remember.

A scream from further up the ship brought her back to the moment, more spray and splattered waves coating her in even more water. Just to add to how wet everything really was, it was now properly storming, coating the deck in a slick layer of water that sloshed from side to side every time the ship rocked due to the sea or the tentacled monstrosity that had it in its grasp. Vael looked up just in time to see another tentacle slam down over the rear of the ship, an explosion of all things sending smoke and flame rocketing up into the sky. A flaming Magister, screaming in agony, ran and dove over the side of the ship toward the sea.

Vael turned her attention away from the destruction, trying to see if anyone else might be alive on the ship. She finally spotted something- a lifeboat!- and was pretty sure that was the missing Dwarf. She hurried across the deck, digging her toe-claws into the timbers for purchase so she didn't skid as the ship rocked and swayed in the sea. She even had to use her new weapon like a staff at one point just so she didn't lose her balance and get tossed over the side, but she quickly made it to the ship. It was the Dwarf, Gil, and some of the children who'd been crowding around Lohse, but one of them was screaming- not that she blamed him in the slightest.

"Get aboard! We're taking her down!", the Dwarf shouted.

He was almost immediately piled on by the children, screaming and tugging at the ropes. "No! They're still down there!"

Vael didn't have to ask who the children meant- she'd seen them for herself. All the others, Ifan, Sebille, the Prince, they were still below decks. If Vael abandoned them now they would almost surely drown, but a threatening creak from the ship confirmed what she'd thought before. It didn't have much longer left either before it broke up under the assault of whatever massive thing was currently trying to tear it apart. Vael's heart froze in her chest as her mind raced- if they took to the sea they were likely to die, but if she went down to rescue them she was almost certain to go down with the ship.

In moments, Vael made up her mind. "I'll go get them! Or at least try!", she shouted to the lifeboat. "Don't you leave without me!"

The Dwarf reached for her as she moved off. "That's suicide!"

"I have to try", she called back, moving toward a hatch she'd spotted just along the deck. The Dwarf cursed behind her as she slid off, and she could already hear him trying to wrestle the children away from what he needed to launch the boat. She knew this was stupid, she knew she should just climb in and leave, but she also knew she'd never forgive herself for leaving if there was a chance she could have saved one of the others. She tossed the crate covering the hatch to one side and yanked it open- she immediately recognized where it lead, one of the side-passages she'd seen through a door that had been locked before.

Thankfully this side was open when she lowered herself down, shouldering the door open as she stepped through. To her amazement and relief, some of the others were starting to stir. "Over here!", she called to them. "There's a lifeboat. Hurry!"

They began to move toward her, the elf she'd been in the cage with, Lohse, a Dwarf she didn't know the name of, when Vael saw yet another thing today she'd never seen before or even imagined would have been possible before now. Seemingly out of the wood and water of the ship itself the creatures came, crawling up out of shimmering rifts in the surface. The others had the same reaction that Vael did, they raised whatever improvised weapon they could- or in Lohse's case ignited a magical fire in her palms.

Vael charged almost at the same time that the others and the bugs did- she heard the creatures calling toward her, telling her they knew her, but she was too busy smashing them into pieces to care. Between the others and herself, the insects died in moments, leaving the hold sloshing in things she didn't want to contemplate as well as water, but she quickly directed the others up the stairs. Most of them didn't so much as thank her, though the Dwarf did take her hand and give it a squeeze before he hurried on- but where was Ifan?

The lizard hurried through the hold despite the screaming protests of the ship's timbers around her until she saw him. Underneath boxes and bits of wood, he was still face-down on the deck, though as she hurried toward him he lifted his head- he was still alive! Vael rushed to him and started to toss wood and debris to the side, quickly helping him to his feet. "Are you hurt!?"

"Battered and bruised but nothing a good rest won't fix. Nevermind me, we need to get out of here. Those were Voidwoken!" He motioned for her to follow and hurried off after the others. Vael wasn't about to fight with him about it.

She'd heard of Voidwoken before, the Magisters had mentioned them, she'd read about them in her studies, but she'd never actually seen one in the carapace before. Why did they seem to know who she was, _why could they speak?_ She had so many questions that she only hoped she'd survive long enough to answer.

Vael joined Ifan at the ladder up to the deck, the ship starting to tremble and creak around them. He hurried up first, followed quickly by the lizard. When he climbed to the top he turned around to lower his hand down toward her, Vael reached for it-

A massive crack rent the ship, the vibrations and jolt of it sending Ifan flying back out of view, Vael's claws dug furrows in the wood as she lost her grip on the ladder and went sailing back down into the depths of the ship. She landed hard, her Magister's sword clattering off into the depths as the ship around her heaved in a way that Vael knew wasn't good. She moved for the ladder, managed to place one hand on the highest rung she could reach.

All around her the ship seemed to come apart all at once, the lizard launched into the air among splintered wood and bits of furniture and canvas. She heard screams from above as she was sent flying, the ship pulled almost neatly in two by a creature that Vael never could have imagined in her nightmares.

She landed back in the water with a splash and she realized that she'd barely managed to draw in a breath since she'd slammed into the deck upon falling from the ladder. She managed to pull herself to the surface, thrashing her tail and her limbs, breaking her head above the water to suck in glorious air. A wave crested with her riding it, just in the distance she could see Ifan climbing aboard the lifeboat.

_'At least he made it'_, she thought to herself. A piece of what she could only imagine was the mast slammed into the water next to her, for a moment Vael actually had the thought of trying to swim away from it, but she'd forgotten what was tied to the mast- the sail. Her world became a mess of cloth and ropes and splinters of wood as she screamed. Her mouth filled with water as wet canvas, ropes tied to heavy bits of wood and metal drug her under.

Her screams became gurgles of terror as the surface disappeared and her mouth filled with water, all she could see around herself was the tumult of water and waves and debris as she was dragged under. She never truly imagined that she'd die, she thought she could go back down, save the others, make it to the boat. Wishful, idyllic thinking. Her eyes bugged as she gasped for air, the last few bubbles replaced by heavy water that filled her lungs as she sank ever lower.

_'I don't want to die'_ was the last thing she remembered thinking.

In the swirling darkness of the sea, drowning and death and being dragged under, deep enough that it felt like her lungs were about to burst, the dark claimed her again. She expected she'd never wake from this, she'd always wondered what it might be like to die, but never thought she'd be experiencing it firsthand.

_'I have plans for you, yet.'_ came a voice. She imagined, surely, that she was dead, was someone talking to her in the afterlife? The voice, she felt like she'd heard it before, warm and caring and feminine, almost like her mother's voice, and it brought the same kind of comfort. A warmth and happiness that filled the soul and buoyed the spirit even in the worst of times.

_'Rise'_, the voice commanded.

Vaeltorya didn't know where to rise, how to rise. How could she rise, drug down into the depths and drowned like a rat? She was dead, let her sleep. She was so tired.

_'Rise'_, came the voice again, commanding, demanding her to do as she was told. The tone had changed, from warmth and comfort to the heat of a flame allowed to burn too brightly, starting to scorch her scales with the heat of it. Still, she resisted, she was drowned, she was at peace, let her go. A thought tickled at the back of her mind. What would her mother think if she'd just given up and let herself die?

Vael felt her eyes open, though she still couldn't see. There was nothing -to- see. Darkness surrounded her, but she reached up a hand toward the world above. She would rise. She -must-. She had never given up before. She wouldn't do it now, she'd fight until she had no fight left to give.

The voice came again, this time approving, warm again like the heat of a flame, the warmth of the noonday sun overhead when all you wanted to do was sleep and rest with a bit of food and a cool drink. _'Rise, Champion.'_

Vael's head broke the waves, her claws found purchase in wet sand, she crawled through instinct alone, still blinded, up and out of the water. She retched, seawater spilling from her maw in thick torrents. For a moment she swore she felt a hand on her back, helping her to throw up the seeming gallons of water that she'd swallowed in thick torrents upon the sands. Her vision slowly came back as she voided herself onto the sands, she could see light, sun, sand. How? She crawled a few more paces before her aching bones and muscles simply gave up beneath her and she flopped down onto the sands, her muzzle practically buried within, every snort of breath out sending little puffs of sand skittering across the beach.

The sun baked her back as she lay there, gasping for breath, letting the strength slowly seep back into her weary muscles and aching bones, letting the warmth of it suffuse her and chase away the chill of death and the sea. She had no idea how she'd managed to find her way to shore, but she thanked anyone who would listen, quietly, in her head. A tear rolled down her muzzle to drip into the sands below.

"I'm alive", she breathed in relief into the sands.


	4. Joy

Vaeltorya allowed herself what she thought was an appropriate amount of self-pity. She'd been arrested, knocked out-  _ twice!-  _ attacked by horrible talking bugs, shipwrecked, and she still didn't know whether she'd drowned or almost-drowned, but at the moment she wasn't sure if that was a strictly important distinction. She knew she'd been rescued by... something. But who? Why? For what purpose? She didn't know, she didn't know so many things, she had so many questions.

She wallowed for what she thought was a somewhat-appropriate amount of time before she finally forced her aching and protesting body into movement. She started simply, a flex of her hand, a slight wiggle of her tail. Every movement brought a protesting burst of pain, but that was good, pain meant you were still alive and that all her parts were still attached. Her ragged cloth soaked her to the bone but at least she was covered. She tried again to move, despite her protests, placing a hand into the sand, slowly pushing herself out of it, every tiny fraction of progress a fight against the impulse to just lay back down in the sand.

When she finally managed to take to her feet she did so with her head swimming and she reached out to a nearby tree for balance. To her grief, the thing simply snapped off, a dead bit of wood that hadn't yet fallen, and she collapsed back into the sand with a groan, her hand wrapped around a several-foot-long... club, for lack of a better word. She forced herself up again, using her new club-cum-walking-stick for help, pushing it into the sand for support.

Standing again, Vael raised her free hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked around herself. She had no idea where she was, but she imagined she'd get some answers soon. Whatever had raised her out of the depths of the sea probably wouldn't have dropped her on an abandoned island to starve and die. Probably.

She was proven correct in short order as she wandered down the beach, little crabs and tiny sea-bugs scurrying out of her way. She spotted a statue through the brush and headed toward it, only to find a small child standing on a dock. He looked up to see her and frowned for a moment, then shook his head and turned back to the water he was looking at. "Another one. Welcome to Fort Joy."

She frowned as she considered what he'd said. So it seemed she'd made it to Fort Joy after all, wherever that was. But if this was where she was meant to be, then that meant there was food, beds, drink, somewhere to rest somewhere on this island. "Where's the Fort?", she asked the kid after a moment of silence.

He pointed with a hand further up the beach, more or less the direction that Vael was going to head anyway. She nodded her thanks to him then left him to... whatever he was doing, he seemed to have a better handle on the situation than she did at the moment. At least his words had given her pause, 'another one', that meant there were likely others who'd made it off of the ship or at least crawled up out of the sea. She breathed a soft sigh of relief and began her way up the shore.

The beach didn't look so bad it wasn't deserted, there was shade, if she was going to be locked up here at this Fort, then she supposed there were worse places to be. She could fish in the sea, she imagined there was wild food to be found, she at least wouldn't starve... She scratched idly at the collar around her neck- she'd almost forgotten about it, but then again it was supposed to be locking up her 'Source', something she wasn't even sure she had access to, so she'd put it out of mind. A flash of something red caught her eye and she had to smirk when she realized what it was.

She began to work her way up the beach toward the red she'd seen coming through the trees when an odd sort of rattling sound caught her attention. She had no idea what it was and couldn't say she'd ever heard anything like it before. She heard a quiet voice muttering to herself and she stopped in her tracks, instantly on the alert for another one of those talking insects.

Vael glanced down when she felt something brush against her leg, and she had to stop herself from screaming, moments later dumbstruck as her mind attempted to process what she was seeing. A squirrel, wearing a helmet, riding on a skeletal cat. And he was  _ speaking to her _ . Or maybe not to her, it sounded like he was muttering to himself, or to the cat, he kept saying 'Quercus', whatever that was and mentioned something about a giant.

She blinked several times, lifted her hands, rubbed slowly at her eyes as she stared down at the walking, talking impossibility that wound its way around her feet.  _ Why could she understand a squirrel.  _ She'd never talked to animals before in her life, she'd heard of people who claimed they could but she'd always dismissed them as insane. Maybe that's what it was, all the stress of the last few days, almost dying or actually dying(she still wasn't clear on what had happened) had finally driven her out of her mind. Maybe she really did belong here in Fort Joy.

The squirrel finally seemed to realize that she wasn't moving anymore and his head looked up, tiny little beady squirrel-eyes staring up at her for several long moments before he seemed to realize what she had moments ago. She understood him. The two of them stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, Vael shocked out of her mind and she had no idea what the squirrel was thinking. The quiet rustling of the sea breeze through the nearby brush and trees the only sound between the two of them, aside from the occasional rattle or dusty hollow clunking sound from his undead 'mount'.

"It speaks our tongue, Quercus", he whispered in a stage whisper to his mount.

Vael could only slowly nod her head, just staring at this oddity before her. She seemed to have lost the ability to speak at the moment. He seemed to get into an argument with his cat, then, though she couldn't hear the feline's side- she had no idea how it could speak anyway, being all bones and dust, but the squirrel seemed to have no problem with it at all. 

After a moment's fumbling, he introduced himself as "Sir Lora", some sort of knight. Vael was inclined to just take him at face value at this point, she'd seen and heard so many strange things over the past day or so that if the Gods themselves came down and told her to make tea, she'd probably only ask them how many sugars they wanted. The squirrel called her a 'Shield' and told her that she'd lead the way, protecting him from... something, she didn't understand what. Something about an acorn. It was all too much for her frazzled mind at the moment. She simply accepted him and moved on.

She did introduce herself in turn in a minute or so once she'd managed to stop being quite so stunned about the whole thing, but he didn't really seem too interested in her name, so she'd left him be after that. Deciding to try to put the talking squirrel out of mind, she resumed her journey toward the red she'd seen through the trees, trying not to think too hard about the bony clattering and chittering that shadowed her footsteps.

Sure enough, as she pushed through a part in the trees, she spotted him- the red kin from the ship, the Prince, standing tall on a rock overlooking the sea. He'd managed to arm himself at some point- if you could call a stick and a bit of a barrel lid as a shield 'armed' anyway- which meant he was at least a step ahead of herself at the moment. She walked up closer to him, he didn't acknowledge her presence other than to look behind himself and check that she was, indeed, coming toward him.

Vael stood behind him for a moment, one hand resting on the club she was using as a walking stick, the other on her side, before he finally turned around and acknowledged her existence.

"I see that you also survived."

She gave him a little smile, bowing her head at least somewhat deferentially. She knew he was nobility, someone important, but she also knew that he'd been exiled for some reason or another she'd been too busy with her preparations to leave to really pay much attention to. "I did."

He stared at her somewhat awkwardly for a moment before he rested his hand on the 'hilt' of the stick at his side. "I suppose I should thank you. Perhaps you are better than just a slave after all." 

She couldn't help but smirk. She knew people like him from back home, saying something like that must have been at least somewhat difficult for him.

Her smirk seemed to unsettle him because he soon turned back to the water to gaze out over the waves. "If there's nothing further..."

"I was wondering, actually, what you were doing here. On the rock, I mean." She was genuinely curious, but also meeting another survivor gave her a little hope- she wanted to celebrate with a conversation and have a tiny bit of normalcy in her otherwise frantic last few days.

"I was gazing over the waves." He looked like he was going to say something else, then paused, looking out over the sun-glimmering waters that surrounded the island. "Tell me, what do you see when you cast your glance over this ocean?"

Vael looked past him, over the water. She remembered quiet mornings with her mother going down to the sea-side to gather shells and seaweed and play in the sand. She wondered if she'd ever see her mother again. She told him as much, and he seemed contemplative.

"Quite so." He sighed, then, his hands on his hips. The two of them looked out over the waves, a kindred silence falling over the pair as the waves lapped slowly at the shore. All signs of the storm of the prior evening or morning, she didn't really have a good sense of when things had happened, given her multiple stints of unconsciousness, had completely vanished, save for the scant bits and pieces of the ship that rested here or there among the sands.

"I see an empire", he finally continued, a statement she met with a raised brow and a curious stare. "I see continents dotted with mighty cities, and shimmering along the soft curve of the sea's horizon, I picture the palaces that formed my paradise... lost."

"I've never lost a paradise, myself, but that sounds like a rough break. What happened?" She offered in return, shifting slightly to plant her feet in a better position upon the stones. The warmth radiating up from them was soothing upon her claws.

He stared at her for several moments before he finally asked. "You don't know who I am?"

She shook her head. "I know you're a prince, I know you were exiled, but not what for or why."

He puffed himself up, actually managing to look somewhat dignified and properly offended, even though he was wearing the same sort of rough cloth smock that she was and 'armed' with bits of wood and string. "I am the Red Prince! The All-Conqueror. The World-Tamer. The Spouse of the Sun."

Vaeltorya couldn't help but grin just a little bit. "That's all well and good, but right now you're collared and lost on some island, just like me."

He seemed to deflate at this, shrinking slightly as she pointed out the obvious. "I suppose I must own up to the fact that I find myself rather in-between all-conquering and world-taming opportunities at the moment."

She grinned all the more at this, reaching out to place a comforting pat or two upon his shoulder. "There, there. All you have to do is get off this island and you'll be conquering the world once more in no time."

He managed to bring back some of his offended look at that, but the reality of his situation seemed to finally hit him just a bit. "The grandeur of my fate has hit... a bit of a snag, but never you worry: for the throne I was destined, and my throne I shall have."

She chuckled at this and nodded her head, lifting her hand over her shoulder. "Well, I was going to head up to Fort Joy, just up the beach... You can come with me, maybe we can even find you a throne."

The Prince gave her an incredulous look but eventually relented. "A kind offer indeed. And you've already proven trustworthy enough, you came back for myself and the others on the ship after all." He considered her at some length before he finally nodded his head. "Fine, I accept. Though on one condition." He held up a scaled hand, a single scarlet finger raised into the sky.

She raised a brow once more in return and gestured for him to continue. "Go on."

"It is imperative that I should meet with a Dreamer: one of our kind's revered mystics."

It was her turn to be slightly offended, of course she knew what a Dreamer was.

He blathered for a moment at her rebuke before he continued. "One of them may be present on this island. Promise me we'll look for him, and I'll extend you the blessing of my company."

She chuckled again, shaking her head, but she extended a hand toward him. "Deal. Not like I have much else to do at the moment, anyway."

He nodded his head with a smile. "Now, as you're aware you'll be traveling with a prince. Proper forms of address include 'Your Majesty', 'Your Royal Highness', or if you're feeling particularly frivolous, 'Milord'." He nodded his head despite her curious stare that she wasn't entirely sure he was serious. "There are other forms of protocol but I'll ensure you'll pick them up as we go along. Let us be off."

She laughed under her breath, shaking her head, but lifted her club up over her shoulder as she began to walk off down the beach. "As you wish, 'my prince'." She managed to put as much of a sultry tone into it as she could, seeing if she could throw him off balance. She was pretty sure it worked, it looked as if his scales turned slightly more red than they had been already, but he didn't say anything else.

Vael thought it odd that he would allow her to lead, but considering they were currently on an island where their status meant very little to either one of them, she supposed he was content to follow if only because it let him dwell on his own problems and not have to make decisions. She shrugged, continuing further along her way. Paths seemed to be worn, somewhat, into the ground beneath them and she followed them, continuing in what seemed to be a southern direction along the dunes and sands.

Soon enough her efforts were rewarded as constructed walls came into view behind trees and brush and a quick jaunt through the scattered woodland brought them up to a raised stonework that looked like it might have at one point been a bridge- at the moment, it seemed to have been turned into a court of sorts. Vael brought herself up short and held out a hand for the Prince to stop behind her, he nodded his head. Some sort of... lanky, long-limbed creature stared at her through slitted visors of its helmet. The glance seemed to catch the attention of the woman who was holding the 'court', a blonde-haired human carrying a large warhammer slung across her back.

She glanced toward Vael and warned her to stay back and stay silent, their 'Godwoken' spoke. Vael didn't have much of an idea what a 'Godwoken' was, and a curious glance back toward the Prince brought a shrug of his shoulders in return. She imagined it was likely what it sounded like, someone 'woken' to the Gods, whatever that meant, but none of the gathered Magisters looked to be in a talkative mood.

The man, the one that the woman had gestured to, spoke. He sounded regal and somewhat old, but most curiously he wore a collar just like Vael and the Prince did. Was he a Sourceror too? He asked the lizard woman, 'Atusa', it seemed, if she was helping Sourcerors escape. Vael glanced to the Prince again, a brow raised, before she turned her attention back to the spectacle before them.

They claimed she was lying to them, that she had helped others escape, Atusa denied the charge but seemed at a loss to do anything other than what she was told. The woman, Dallis, someone said, then ordered Atusa to cut her tongue out if she had nothing else to say to the other, Alexandar. Vael had heard that name before, the son of Lucian himself! But it seemed the apple had fallen quite far from the tree if this sort of display was being not only allowed but urged on at his hand.

Vael went to move, to say something, to speak, when they forced Atusa to begin to slice her own tongue off for her supposed lies, her hands clenching as she felt a familiar rage, stronger than she'd ever remembered before, starting to rise up within her. Before she could take as much as a step she felt the Prince's hand grasp her wrist and she turned her head back toward him, he silently shook his own. She forced the anger down and bit her tongue hard enough she felt it bleed in sympathy for the display before her.

Alexandar stopped the torrid display before Atusa did more than draw blood, much to Vael's relief, but what came next brought the anger to the fore hotter than it had ever been. Alexandar said they were 'done' and told Dallis to do something; before Vael knew it Dallis held her hand out toward the lizard Magister, something long, metal and pointed in her hand. The thing sprung to life, some kind of wand, and before Vael's very eyes a light-green light leaped from the tip of it to latch onto the lizard before them.

The woman jolted upright with a silent scream, but the air itself around them screamed in protest of what was happening, a haunting, chilling sound that struck Vael to the very bone.  _ Something  _ tore itself from the lizard and lept to the wand, the woman's body quite literally exploding into chunks and bits that scattered blood and gore across the stones.

Dallis claimed it was a waste, before she and Alexandar and their guards disappeared into the Fort.

Vael stood there in shock, staring at the puddle of what used to be a kin, an emotion her companion seemed to share. The sheer cruelty of it, forcing the woman to cut out her own tongue, then stealing what had seemed to be her very soul, dumbfounded her. She shook her head as she tried to move past the mess and into Fort Joy... if they would do such a thing to one of their own, what might they do to the prisoners under their care? She shuddered to think of it.

She looked up to the stone arches, where moments ago she'd thought perhaps she'd be safe here and had been thinking of living out her sentence as peacefully as she could... Now a single thought filled her mind.

_ "I need to get off this Island." _


	5. Goals

Passing under the bridge brought her into the arms of Fort Joy itself. She had been expecting some kind of a prison, but this almost looked like a community instead. The Magisters were positioned less like guards and more like... guardians, or watchers maybe, standing at entrances and exits but nowhere else. Vael could see areas where people had set up tents within the walls, one spot that even looked like it was a working forge of sorts. Ahead of her, there was a large walled area with tent-cloth lashed across the top to create an area of shade and cool among everything else.

Vael glanced to one of the Magisters standing to either side of the gate, the man hacked up something to spit upon the ground and Vael decided her attention was better put elsewhere. As her eyes scanned the crowd ahead of her she realized she recognized one of the people. Ifan! He stood near an elf, across from her was another human gesturing and talking, he didn't look particularly happy with whatever it was they were talking about. A woman stood nearby, hand on her hip, Vael recognized her stance- muscle. She realized Ifan must be doing the same thing for the elf, but judging by the way the elf kept glancing at him, she didn't seem to know him well or at least didn't trust him to run off.

She moved closer to stand near Ifan, she reached out and tapped him gently on the shoulder to let him know she was there. He glanced back and smiled a fraction when he realized it was her, then motioned for her to come to stand up near him. Vael took a practiced stance, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood to her full height and stared at the blustering human. For some reason, she trusted enough that Ifan wasn't likely to get her involved in something she didn't want to be a part of.

Judging by what the man was yelling about, he was trying to extort money out of the elf. Vael was amazed, they were all locked up in here together, why would anyone bother trying to squeeze something out of those who had nothing? They all wore the same rags, in various degrees of condition and deterioration, what was the point? A few more coins? She frowned as she looked across at him.

The elf seemed to realize that someone else had strode up behind her and a glance back at Vael brought a new look of relief when she realized that the lizard was staring at the one trying to extort her, not her. 

The man gestured with a hand. "Griff can't keep this place running for free! Why d'you have to make this so hard?"

Vael finally decided to speak up. "Griff? Is he one of the Magisters? Because from what I've gathered he's the one running this place and everyone else is a prisoner." She could see out of the corner of her eye a smirk from Ifan, who stepped between herself and the man.

He recoiled slightly but tried to keep up a brave front. "Just stand aside, why don'tcha mates. This is no business of yours."

Ifan rolled up his sleeves, revealing scars that Vael hadn't noticed before, scars someone didn't get by living a life of peace and quiet. "Lone Wolves decide their own business.", he growled.

The man paused, shuffling closer to his own compatriot. "Pay up, elf. No one shorts Griff, 'specially not one of _you._"

Vael leaned closer to the man, lowering her voice toward him as she gave her club a meaningful tap against the ground. "I think you should leave." If it had been a business deal gone wrong, some personal dispute, she wouldn't have gotten involved. But trying to shake down someone just like her, someone who had nothing, if she didn't help to nip it before it got well and truly started, or at least attempt to stem the tide... they'd be coming for her next.

The man's bluster finally seemed to fail at the combined threats and he muttered something about 'not being worth the time' before he and his crony stalked off back toward the covered section- Vael imagined that might be where she could find this Griff.

Vael looked to the elf, who sighed in relief and gestured for her to follow as she began to walk away. "This way, please. There's somewhere safe."

She looked back to the Prince, who shrugged, then to Ifan with a little smile. "Lone Wolf, huh? Those are... mercenaries, right?"

Ifan nodded, slowly rolling his sleeves back down. "That's right. I thought there was something I liked about you." He extended a hand toward Vael, which she took once again and shook firmly. "Thanks for coming back for us on the ship, I might not be here but for you."

Vael chuckled to herself and shook her head, releasing her grip on his hand. "Ah, I couldn't leave you and the others there."

Ifan nodded his head, then looked around for a moment before he leaned back in. "Listen, you don't look too busy and I could use someone to watch my back, you seem like you could use another to watch yours." He gestured to the Prince, who watched quietly from the back. "I have an _errand _to run and then I need to get off this rock. I could use someone like you."

The idea of leaving very suddenly got Vael's attention more so than before. "Leaving? And how do you propose we do that?" Even the Prince stepped forward slightly to hear this, the three of them seemed to have a vested interest in not remaining here any longer than necessary.

"The usual way. Haphazard, terrifying, and drenched in blood. Haven't worked out the details yet but I can't imagine it'll be worse than what might happen if we stay put." Ifan pointed toward the gate, the puddle that used to be Atusa.

Vael's jaw set and she looked back toward him, nodding her head once. "You have a deal. What 'errand' do you mean?"

Ifan looked around again, then reached into the frock he wore to pull out a small leather cylinder. He uncapped the top of it, unrolled a small piece of parchment, then passed it to Vael. She pulled it close to herself to read, the Prince slipped closer to read it over her shoulder as she did. She scanned the thing quickly, the way he'd acted told her not to keep it in the open for long, and what she read confirmed that all the more. She looked up to him incredulously. "Is this real?" The contract was for Alexandar himself, killed at Ifan's hand.

He took the paper back and rolled it up quickly, nodding his head as he hid it away once again. "It is. You help me with this and I help you with whatever you need, at least until we part ways. Sound fair?"

Vael grinned at him and nodded just once. "Indeed." She looked back to the Prince, who nodded his assent as well, then gestured for Ifan to come with her. "Well, I guess we'll be watching each other's backs after all."

Ifan smiled, showing off teeth that seemed far too sharp to be natural. "That we will."

Vael started to move, intending to follow the elf who'd told them about the 'safe' place from before, but a wave of a hand caught her attention. She followed the movement to find herself staring at Lohse, the woman from before on the boat. "You made it too!"

"I did, thanks to you." She looked to Vael, Ifan and the Prince, offering the three of them a smile. "Look, I couldn't help but overhear that you might be looking for a way off?"

Vael nodded her head, planting her hands on her hips. "I think so. You too?"

Something in Lohse's face... changed, her eyes darkened, the flesh around them shifted to pale, only for a split second, then returned to normal. "I am. I have something very important I need to do, and I can't do it here. I was wondering if I could come with you three. I can hold my own in a fight if that's what you were wondering."

"Are you... alright?", Vael asked, gesturing to the eyes. She looked back to Ifan and Prince, asking if they'd seen what she saw, and the two nodded.

Lohse seemed reluctant to talk but nodded her head. "I'm ... hospitable. Put it like this, you've never been a host I bet?" Vael shook her head, and the woman continued. "That's because you're an infested clump of leaves on the side of the road. No offense." She gestured with a hand to all three. "I'm like a roadside inn. Red door, flowers out front, friendly lady beckoning you in with the promise of half price."

Vael was slightly confused but nodded. "I think I follow... Who is that then?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I'd be surprised if it was a demon, it's not likely to be a sprite. Maybe a specter?" Lohse shook her head, then gestured around them. "How are you enjoying the Joy? Want to leave, right?"

Vael nodded. "I just arrived and I've seen enough."

Lohse smiled at that. "Great! Strength in numbers and all that, right? Mind if I come along then?"

Vael pursed her lips, then shrugged. "I suppose. If no one else objects?"

Ifan shook his head, the Prince looked like he might have something to say but eventually shook his head too.

Vael nodded then, extending a hand toward Lohse. "Together then."

The woman smiled with relief, then joined Ifan and the Prince behind the lizard. She was surprised she'd managed to gather a little 'following' so quickly, but then again she did know the benefits of traveling as a group in a place like this and having all hands on deck, so to speak, would likely make their escape easier. 

She turned toward Ifan. "Where is the man you're supposed to talk to?"

He gestured toward the large metal fence that separated where they were from Fort Joy 'proper', the actual fort part of the island. "He guards that gate there, let me speak to him before we do anything else, it might be time sensitive."

Vael nodded, then gestured for Ifan to lead the way. The gate was right over there, if he needed to talk to him right away, might as well do it now.

He nodded in return, then began to head that way, Vael and the others bringing up the rear. They stood a short distance away while he strode up and talked to the Magister, the others looked bored or distracted enough that they didn't care whatever passed between the two of them. The frightened Borris passed Ifan a note after the man told him something, then the Wolf quickly returned to the others to read it. "Mm, good."

"What's good? What's it say?" Vael craned her neck down to have a look, curious to see what it said.

Ifan showed her the note, it told him that a merchant in the swamps outside of Joy had equipment for him to complete his mission with, something the sharp-toothed man grinned at. "Now we know where to go once we get out of here."

Vael hummed a soft breath. "Yes, but how we get out of here at all is the question." She looked to the other three, though none of them seemed to have ideas just yet. "I suppose let's go see what that elf said about a safe place. Can't hurt, and they might know something we don't." When the three nodded, Vael took the lead again, heading off after where the elf had gone.

She skirted the large walled area near the center of the camp, imagining that's where this 'Griff' might be, and she didn't want to tangle with anyone like that just at the moment, especially since he might not have heard the best news about her and her companions. She'd seen the elf head off south this way as well, so she knew she was probably on the right track. Around the large walled area, the camp opened up down into a gully, there appeared to be a hospital of sorts on one side and a path toward the beach on the other, but right ahead is where Vael thought she might have to go. A cave opened up in the hillside, and as the elf wasn't anywhere to be seen, she imagined the woman might be in there.

Sure enough, as she stepped inside, aside from getting out of the heat of the sun and into the cool shade of the cave, she spotted the woman just ahead. A fellow lizard, she hadn't seen too many of those since she arrived, sneered at herself and her companion, the Prince, which meant he wasn't likely the one they were looking for, this Dreamer. Vael headed onward, then, to speak to the woman from before.

"Thank you for the help with that thug. No doubt he turns on you next if you don't. Humans hate us." She looked to Ifan and Lohse. "No offense." When both waved her off, she continued. "Listen... someone like you, you might be able to help us."

To her surprise, Ifan stepped up close beside her. "What do you need?" Vael hadn't expected the mercenary to be the first one to jump at the chance to help the elves, but she was going to ask herself, so she let him do the talking for now if he wanted to do it.

"Amyro, one of the elves, was captured by Griff. Griff thinks he stole from him. If you could free him... I don't imagine you lot look like you want to stay on this island forever, right?" The elf looked slightly uncomfortable with talking to them about this but continued when they assured her that they weren't staying any longer than possible. "Get him back to us, and I think she can help you." The elf gestured to another female elf sitting by the fire, one with a blindfold around her face. "She won't talk to you until you free him, but if you can bring him back to us, she can help you get off this island."

Ifan nodded his head without another thought. "Done."

The woman's face lit up. "Truly? Please, here." She moved over toward a crate and shifted it aside, revealing a small hollow in the cave. Within it were makeshift weapons. A sword, a crossbow, a larger two-handed blade and what looked like a large stick, along with a few other scattered items. "We had been collecting these to try to make our way off of the island, but... I think you four could use them more than we could. Please, bring Amyro back to us."

Vael reached down and took hold of the larger blade as the others took their weapons and whatever other bits of gear might have been in the hole. Ifan passed Vael what looked like a padded vest, but the front was solid- there was metal in the inside of it. "The guards won't question us walking around armed?"

The elven woman shook her head. "If you look like you might actually give them trouble if they do, no. Griff and his cronies have actual weapons, too. Real ones, not this trash that the Magisters threw out and we did our best to fix up... I truly hope that this will be enough."

Vael looked around herself, Ifan had found a makeshift crossbow and some bracers, Lohse had picked up the stick- which judging by the small flame that had sprouted at the top of it, was actually a staff, and the Prince had armed himself with the sword, setting aside the stick he'd been armed with.  
  
The lizard grinned, showing off her teeth as she lifted her new sword and rested it upon her shoulder. "I think we might just have a chance, now."


	6. Griff

Vaeltorya looked at Ifan, Lohse and the Prince, nodding to each of them in turn before she turned back to the elven woman. "Do you know anything that can help us get close to Griff? I can't imagine if we walk in like this he's going to want to talk to us." She hefted her sword slightly. "A task we can say we're doing for him, something he'll want. We need a way to get in and get him off guard."

The elven woman frowned, shaking her head for a moment until she paused. "Wait. He was looking for something someone stole from him. He was asking everyone in camp about it. If you can find anything about that you might be able to get to him that way."

Vael nodded, then remembered one last thing, tilting her head toward the Red Prince. "We're looking for a Dreamer. Do you know anything about one of those?"

"A Dreamer? I don't really-", she paused as the Prince spoke up.

"A lizard who sleeps a lot would fit the description", he offered from behind Vael.

"Oh! You should talk to Stingtail then", she responded right away, nodding her head. "He's always sleeping, or looking for more Drudanae to help him sleep."

Vael looked to the Prince, then back to the elf. "How do we find him?"

"Exit the cave and take a left, he's got a small camp to himself off the beach." She gestured with a hand. "He's always there, sleeping."

Vael nodded and reached back with her free hand, clapping the Prince on the shoulder with a smile. "We found your Dreamer then, I think." She lifted a hand to wave to the elf, then lead the others onward and out of the cave, back out into the bright sun. Vael lifted a hand over her head so she could look up, she imagined that it was some time past midday at this point and she was starting to get pretty hungry. All she'd had to 'eat' at this point was seawater, maybe this Stingtail could help them out there.

The directions were easy enough to follow and led them more or less directly to the camp in question, and sure enough when they approached they found a blue-scaled lizard curled up on a bedroll underneath an overhanging tent. The Red Prince lifted an arm and placed it onto Vael's shoulder gently, looking toward her. "I need to speak with him. Alone. Please."

Vael looked to the Prince, then to Stingtail, then nodded her head. "Go on. You're why we're here anyway." As the Prince stepped past her, she reached out for him. "See if he knows anything about what Griff wants while you're talking to him. A Dreamer might have seen something."

The Prince nodded, then stepped forward and to the blue-scaled lizard. They spoke at length for quite some time, then Stingtail pulled out... an orange? and pulled some Drudanae leaves from it. Vael humphed under her breath at the odd sight, then looked to the other two, who just shrugged in response. As the blue lizard chewed the leaves he reached out for the Prince, his hand on his shoulder, and the two of them slept. It seemed to take quite some time as well, but eventually, the Prince and the Dreamer opened their eyes together and began to speak about what they'd seen.

When the Prince returned to Vael, he looked even more concerned than ever. "Good news?"

The Prince pursed his lips, then shrugged as he looked to Vael. "I am not sure. We will have to find another Dreamer, something is not quite right."

Vael nodded, then gestured to Stingtail. "Did he say where another Dreamer was? What about what Griff wants?"

"... Right, about that." He looked back to the Dreamer, then to Vael, and pulled the orange she'd seen out of his pocket. "This is what Griff wants. I think if you let me talk to him I can distract him long enough that we can strike."

Vael nodded her head at this, then looked back the way they'd come, up toward the walled building. "If you think so." She looked at the other two. "What about you Ifan, Lohse?"

Ifan hefted his new crossbow. "Before you spring the trap, let me get somewhere high. I can keep better watch from there."

Lohse looked to Ifan, then nodded. "I'll go with him. I can help better from up there."

"Right, sounds like a plan." Vael pursed her lips as she considered her hunger, but she'd dealt with things like it before. She'd glanced in toward Griff's area before it and it seemed a lot like a kitchen, she was sure there'd be food inside. "The Prince and I go in, the Prince shows him the orange, maybe we get a reward out of him, then when you're ready, Ifan, you put a bolt between his shoulder blades."

Ifan grinned wide enough to show off those strangely-sharp teeth of his. "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Vael nodded once, hefting her blade. "Let's do it, then."

The trip toward Griff's compound was tense, but Vael knew what she had to do. She'd been a soldier before she'd been a scholar, she knew how to carry out a plan and execute it, she knew she'd have to put trust in the others. Ifan she wasn't worried about, the Prince was from War so she trusted him completely, the only one she was worried about was Lohse but as long as she didn't die she supposed herself and the other two could handle things. She didn't imagine Griff ever went up against trained combatants, just whatever Sourcerors were dragged in by the Magisters.

Ifan and Lohse split off to head upstairs, the higher part of Griff's area led to an upper walkway near the large shrine to Lucian that dominated the inner plaza. Vael and the Prince slipped into the lower area where there was a large cookfire and tantalizing scents of food danced across the end of Vael's snout. For whatever other qualities or faults this Griff person had, he was a damn good cook judging by the smells wafting her way. As they entered, someone pointed the two of them out of him and Griff stepped closer, holding a dirty potato-peeling knife in his hand. Even that single small knife looked to be in better shape than the weapons the four of them had gotten from the elves.

"What's all this then?", he asked, waving his knife at the two of them. Vael had a look around, there were at least three others on the ground, two above, she wasn't sure how many lurking around or across the camp, but they'd be alone by the end of this. She didn't imagine this'd be anything but quick and bloody.

The Prince, to his credit, seemed to drop right into his element. "My good man! We come bearing a gift for you, we happened to hear around the camp that you were looking for something." He stepped closer, one hand on the hilt of his sword as he struck a theatrical pose, the other holding aloft the 'orange' that Stingtail had given them.

Vael took up a position at the base of the stairs, watching the Prince and Griff as the human invited the Prince up with a wave of his blade. "Aha, an industrious lot you are. Let me see that here." Griff reached out for the orange, his knife set down on the table beside him. A woman with a staff stood to Griff's side and Vael silently judged the distance between her and the woman while she watched the Prince and Griff.

The Prince looked up for a split second, drawing Vael's attention to Ifan's head peeking over the balcony. Vael looked up to him, their eyes met, and she winked a single eye at him. Time to go.

What happened next was over almost as soon as it had begun.

As soon as Ifan lifted his crossbow over the edge of the catwalk above, Vael sprung and swung her blade in a downward arc. The mage woman hardly knew what hit her as Vael's heavy blade crashed through her like she wasn't there, removing an arm and gutting her in the same blow. Griff hardly had time to cry in alarm before a bolt grew out of his throat and he began to fall. Vael felt chill air pass by her and someone behind her screamed as his lower legs turned to ice, the Prince charged down the steps and into the man, knocking him to the ground, minus his legs, as he continued his movements right into another woman that he slammed into a wall, blade buried in her gut. Vael lifted her blade in an overhead arc as a shocked and confused woman came running around the corner, hefting another staff across herself, attempting to cast a spell at the Prince.

Vael's blade slamming into the ground was met with silence afterward as the lizard slowly stood up, pulling her blade free from the dirt it'd landed in. The shocked woman before her, already beginning to bleed from a slice down her front, stared in shocked silence at her split-in-half mage staff as it came apart in two pieces in her hands. Vael reached forward with her sword's point and gently poked the woman in her shoulder, forcing her to fall over where she landed with a rather wet sound, red already spreading across the ground beneath her. 

She looked up to check on Ifan and Lohse, a fire had broken out at some point up top, and there was a body with a bolt sticking out of it draped over the stone wall, but as far as she could tell everyone was fine. She lifted her hand toward them. "Everyone okay?"

The Prince nodded, holding a small gash in his scales. "One of them had a knife, but I'll be fine."

Ifan and Lohse seemed completely fine, though Ifan did quickly move to the Prince to start tending to his wound. The man was full of surprises, it seemed. Vael gestured for Lohse to come with her as they started to see what might be gotten from Griff and his friends- they might need gold or equipment where they were going. There was a man-sized leather shirt sitting on Griff's platform that she tossed toward Ifan, she took Griff's potato knife for herself, it would make a pretty good ankle knife or something to wear on her belt when she couldn't use the big blade. There were a few helmets(Vael found one that fit her and put it on right away), some gloves, a pair of boots. 

The big prizes were some real weapons, an actual crossbow stashed behind a barrel, a sword for Vael that looked like it wasn't about to fall apart if you looked at it wrong, and one of the casters had a staff that looked like it'd actually been made by a professional. Probably something that had used to belong to a Magister at some point before it fell into the hands of Griff's gang.

Now that they looked like they might properly be able to handle a few decent threats, Vael finally found a key to the cage down in the lower part of Griff's area where a beaten and starved-looking elf man waited. Vael wanted to get him out as quickly as possible, the scuffle had already started attracting attention, and a Magister and his source hound were standing in one of the doorways, shaking his head at what he'd seen.

Vael fit the key into the lock and breathed a relieved sigh when it actually opened, allowing the elf free. He looked around the camp, seemingly in shock from what he'd seen, but possibly also from the treatment he'd endured.

"Sometimes... the best way from a situation is the simplest", he muttered as he looked around, then back to Vael. "I hope Griff rests in peace, even if he lives in anger." He looked around once more. "There is something else I need from you."  
Vael raised a brow and nodded her head to him. "What is it?"

He took an amulet and placed it into her hand. "Take this. If we do not make it out of here, you must give it to the elves on the mainland. They will send help."

"We're going to be leaving soon, we could take you with us?"

"No, your way will be too dangerous. We will escape later, or with the help of the elves. We will stay here. You should come back to the cave, I am sure she will want to speak to you." Amyro started off, then, all by his own.

Vael chewed her bottom lip for a moment and looked to the others- for a moment she thought she saw something flit across Lohse's face again, but it was gone too quickly to be sure. The Prince just shrugged, Ifan nodded and motioned for them to move, so they did. Vael started out after the retreating elf, heading back to the cave- they'd been promised help to escape, after all, and maybe she could finally get something to eat.


	7. Lohse

Vael led her ragtag band of misfits back to the cave that Amyro had ventured toward, her new sword held over her shoulder as she went. They'd speak to this Saheila, learn about a way off the island, see if the elves wouldn't let them rest among them, give them a little food... In the morning, with any luck, they'd be well on their way to getting off this Gods-forsaken island. They at least had a goal in mind, for now, get out of the Fort, kill Alexandar- after what Vael had seen at the gate, she was hoping that Ifan would give her a chance to give him a piece of her mind. And that Dallis.

After that, she didn't know. Maybe they could find a boat, get off the island that way, build a raft if they really had to. Maybe the others would have an idea of what to do once they got out of the Fort and followed through on what Ifan's contract was- maybe Vael could join up with his outfit, she had forgotten how easily she'd fit into that kind of life as a soldier back in the Empire before she'd turned to books and learning.

They passed once more through the entrance of the cave and into the cool dark. Vael paused for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust before she headed for the campfire the elves gathered around within the cave. As they stepped closer to the fire, Lohse hurried up to Vael and took her arm. Maybe it was just the lighting in the cave, but she looked... off. She looked like she was sweating, which Vael could understand, but that strange grey look had returned.

"Hey. Listen. I... I don't know why, but... but I think I need to talk to this elf." Lohse seemed very unsure of herself, but at the same time extremely sure that this was something she needed to do. Vael could hear it in the tone of her voice.

"Well, we were going to..." Vael frowned as she paused, looking between the two of them. She hadn't noticed it before- Saheila was blind or at least wearing a blindfold inside for no reason, which was more unlikely in her opinion. "Are you okay? You don't look good."

"I don't... I can't... I just need to talk to her. Okay!?" Lohse almost seemed frantic at being questioned.

Unsure of herself, but not wanting to stand in the way of it was this important, Vael stepped to the side. "If you must, if you're in such a hurry."

Lohse hurried to the elf and took her to the side. The other elves in the cave seemed alarmed by this, standing from where they were sitting, pushing off of walls to watch more closely. Vael was starting to get the idea that she'd done something wrong, but she couldn't imagine what.

The two of them began to speak to one another in hushed tones, too quiet for Vael to hear, but soon Lohse's voice rose above the ambient sound in the cave and the crackle of the fire. "You _have _to tell me!" She gripped Saheila's hands in her own, holding them tight enough that even from here Vael could see that she was hurting the elf.

Saheila's voice remained calm; Vael wasn't sure what was happening but she definitely didn't like it, and she began to step toward the two in order to pull them apart if she had to. Saheila spoke about something rising, that Lohse was 'hers', whatever that meant, Vael could hear more clearly as she approached the two. 

"Lohse, let her-" Vael reached out a hand.

"Shut up! Let go! Let go! LET GO!", cried Lohse, it seemed like she was struggling against herself to release the elf.

"You are hurting me!" Saheila finally started to struggle against Lohse's grip and Vael had seen enough.

She stepped close enough to try to get between the elf and Lohse, to try to pull them apart, when a voice that very much was not Lohse's spilled from the woman's mouth, momentarily shocking Vael into inaction. "Chatty, chatty elf. Chatty elf with all the answers. I wonder what your blood tastes like."

Those words, however, put things back into drive, and Vael tried to push herself between the elf and the human. "Lohse that's enough!" Her grip was like iron, she could never have imagined the woman would have this much strength within her as she tried to break her grip on Saheila's arms.

"You must hurt her to help her, please!" In the confusion, some of the other elves rushed over to try to help, confused about what was happening, unknowing what the three were doing with their friend, Ifan and the Prince tried to hold them back, Vael could hear them telling the elves they'd get hurt if they intervened, some of them understood, others tried to fight the two, but they understood at least enough not to be too forceful with them.

Vael finally managed to wrench Lohse's hands free of Saheila's as the possessed woman spat something about the elf's blood tasting like nectar, things were quickly escalating out of control. Lohse reached for her staff, a spell on her lips, and everything moved too fast.

Vael found herself standing in front of Lohse, the woman's eyes wide, her grip on her staff so strong it looked like the wood was going to splinter under her fingers. Vael looked down and recoiled in horror, her new dagger sticking out of the woman's chest, red already starting to seep into her clothes. "Oh, Gods! Lohse!"

Vael's arms found their way around the woman's back as she slowly lowered her to the ground, the color returning to her face, her eyes brightening back to their normal color, the black slowly draining away just like her life. Vael's training had taken over, eliminated the threat- her blade had struck true, right into the woman's heart. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it-"

Ifan and the Prince rushed to her side, the Prince gasped at what he saw but Ifan went right to work, trying to see if there was anything he could do for their stricken companion. Vael sat back and slumped to the side, her hand raised to the end of her muzzle in shock. She hadn't meant to harm Lohse, she never wanted to kill her, but she had looked like she was going to kill the elf, she didn't know what else to do. Instinct had taken over, she'd seen what the possessed could do, she knew how dangerous they were.

Ifan looked up to her and slowly shook his head. Vael couldn't look at him, she turned her head away, staring at the rock wall of the cave.

\-----

They'd buried Lohse on the beach, Vael had dug the grave herself, leaving the woman with what few things she'd managed to collect in her time in Fort Joy. The whole time she was digging the thought ran through her head, what could she have done differently, how could she have saved them both. They'd returned to the elven cave after the burial, some of the elves had said that the spot they'd chose would have been a good place for an ancestor tree. She didn't really know what that meant, but Ifan assured her that they meant well by it.

The Prince had remained aloof during the small funeral they'd held, standing off to one side by himself, and even now, in the cave, he stood apart from the others. The elf they'd rescued, Amyro, had brought Vael something to eat, some small mostly not-moldy bread and some soup, but she couldn't find the stomach to eat. She sat by herself near the entrance of the cave, looking down over the others, watching them as they milled about and spoke.

Sometime later, the Prince slowly settled down by her side, the knife that Vael had used clutched in his hands. "You know, I-", he paused, looking down at the blade clutched in his fingers. He stopped and started several times, then sat in silence next to Vaeltorya.

She didn't interrupt the quiet, it let her be alone with her thoughts. She kept running the situation over in her head, she'd known something was wrong, she never should have let Lohse get close to the elf, she should have stepped in sooner, if she'd known- The Prince's hand on her arm broke her out of her contemplation, and she looked up to him.

"If you keep doing that to yourself, you will drive yourself crazy", he finally spoke, his voice quiet.

"Doing what?" Vael lifted a hand, gently wiping at her eyes, then clutched the spoon in her hand. She just needed something to do with her hands, it'd be alright. She didn't understand it, Griff and the others, she'd cut them down without a second thought, it hadn't bothered her- maybe because she believed they were bad people, they'd tried to extort the others, they'd captured and tortured one of the elves- but Lohse... The look in the woman's eyes was going to haunt her dreams. She'd seen the accusatory stare before Vael had turned her head away. It had said only one thing. _'You killed me.' _

The Prince didn't answer right away. "You're running the situation over in your head. You're asking what you could have done differently. It won't do you any good."

Vael frowned and shook her head, limply stirring her soup with her spoon. "But-", she began, and he cut her off right away.

"No but. I have been in a situation very much like this one." He gestured idly with the blade in his hand toward the rest of the cave. "Eerily similar, actually. Do you know why I was exiled?"

Vael lifted her head to look him in the eye, then shook her head. "No, I don't."

"I was bored in my palace. I had begun consorting with demons to pass the time. I told myself I had everything under control." He chuckled and looked down at his hands. "I did not. There was an... incident. It prompted my rivals to move against me. Technically, they even had the law on their side."

Vael shifted a bit in her seat to watch him, lifting her spoon to actually try to eat something before her stomach ate her from the inside out.

"Such a nuisance, the law. Quite necessary to keep the common in line, of course, but-" When he noticed her staring at him he cleared his throat and continued. "They had me exiled for it. The... the demon I had summoned, it tried to kill me, I killed it in return. The evidence could not be hidden in time. I wondered for days how I could have done things differently."

"Could you have?", she asked around a small bit of bread.

"That's the thing, isn't it? Of course, we could have, but we didn't. What is, is. We must deal with what is, we cannot wonder about what might have been. What might _be _is something else entirely of course, but the past is the past." He flipped the handle of the knife around in his hand and offered it to Vael. "Learn from it. Be better next time."

Vael reached out and took the handle in her hand with a quiet sigh. "I suppose you're right."

"Well of course I am." He said with more than a little pride.

He, of course, shrank back again under her withering glare.

The two of them sat in quiet for a few more minutes until Vael's spoon scraped the bowl beneath it of any remaining soup and her bread was gone.

"You know, I had the strangest experience this morning." He said, and she wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or to her.

"You too?" She didn't look at him, staring out over the cave. Ifan was showing one of the children a trick with one of his arrows, flicking it into the air and catching it by the point.

"Yes, I-" He glanced aside at her at the realization that something had happened to her as well, then continued. "I got the distinct feeling that I wasn't _meant _to die today. Your rescue aside, when we fled the boat, we were capsized. I drowned. I know I did."

That got Vael's attention and she lifted her head to truly watch him and listen, gesturing for him to go on.

"There was something in the water. A voice made of air that soothed my flooding lungs... There was a sudden light, warmth - life."

Vael's eyes widened, she'd experienced almost the same, her mind went back to the warmth that had implored her to 'rise', to swim for the surface, to save herself. "I thought I was going crazy. I heard a voice too."

"Truly?" He turned to the side to look at her, then back at the cave as he rested his chin on his fist. "How intriguing. To hear a voice whilst drowning is a rather specific delusion to share, is it not?" He paused for several moments, shaking his head at the end. "Still, I wonder if..." He was silent for several moments more. "Are you a religious person?"

That was a good question. Before this morning, she would have said 'no'. She believed that Zorl-Stissa was likely a real person- at some point. But a God? That she didn't know about. Lucian, she knew about, he'd walked the world, he'd fought and died, but the Seven? She pursed her lips. How else could she explain what had happened? The hand on her back, she'd _felt _it. She hadn't imagined a voice, it had filled her mind. Something had brought her to shore, she hadn't swum, she'd drowned. "I... don't know. Maybe, after today..."

He nodded his head. "I perform the ancient rites of prayer and ceremony with a kind of ... languid indulgence. After all, when one is revered by many as a living god oneself, public deprecation would be needlessly self-important as well, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled to himself. "But after today..." He shrugged, then slowly got to his feet. He reached down and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "They say that Saheila will tell us how to get off of the island tomorrow after we rest. Come, you should sleep."

Vael nodded, slowly pushing herself to her feet as well. Sleep seemed like a good idea.


	8. Escape

Vaeltorya's night was restless, full of dreams she barely remembered when she finally sat up in her bedroll that morning. A smiling face she didn't recognize, Lohse's stare, walking with her mother on the beach. She got up and found a bit of bread to eat, tearing off the moldy bits to leave just the stale behind. It wasn't much, but it was something. She missed food- good food. When she'd gotten off the boat in Driftwood all she could think about was she was going to march right to the Inn and order a bowl of their finest stew.

Someone settled into a sitting position next to her and a glance told her that Ifan had come to rest. "You can't sleep either, can you?"

Vael slowly shook her head. "No. Dreams. Strange ones. I don't normally dream, most lizards who aren't Dreamers don't do it very often."

He took in a breath, letting it out nice and slow. "So it wasn't just me then."

She glanced toward him with a little smile. "Next thing you know you'll tell me that you heard a voice in the water too." Her face fell when his gaze shot to her, confused and accusatory. "No. You too?"

Ifan nodded his head. "Yes. Something _wanted _me to come to shore. It wouldn't let me sink down. Spoke to me."

Vael looked down at the ground between her feet. "The Prince too. Told me about it yesterday."

He growled under his breath. "I don't like coincidences."

A hand to her side helped to push her up and off of her bedroll. "I suppose we should wake sleeping beauty up, then see if we can't wake Saheila up and get going. I think doing this early will be our best shot before the Magisters wake up too much." She could see Ifan looking sidelong at her and she frowned. "What?"

"Sleeping beauty? You two aren't... you know."

Vael pulled a face with a soft, negative noise. "Gods, no. I'd kill him."

\-----

After they'd (finally) managed to wake the Prince up, they'd gathered their things and returned to the head of the cave to listen to Saheila. She didn't have much to say, seeming subdued after yesterday, and Vael found herself staring at the bruises on the elf's wrists. She told them where they could find an entrance into an underground tunnel system that ran under the island, some of them ancient, some not so much. They didn't know much else, but even that much would be enough to give them a head start and hit the Magisters where they weren't expecting it.

The three of them bid the elves goodbye and set out into the early morning sun- it felt good to have the light hitting her scales once more after her long night in the cave. They ventured off to the marked section of the map, the elves had given them a bit of food and some water just in case, but food supplies were thin pickings in the camp so they hadn't taken much. As they passed by Griff's area they saw that someone, maybe the Magisters, maybe someone else, had carted off the bodies, though blood still stained the stones and sand and dirt.

When they arrived on the beach, a quick examination through the dirt where they'd been told to look revealed an actually rather well-concealed tunnel into the underworks of the island. They began to dig it out when a strange, wet crunching sound caught their attention. Sitting on the beach, a fair distance away, sat what looked like a man, wearing armor... eating the arm of a corpse splayed at his feet.

Vael looked to Ifan, Ifan looked to the Prince, the Prince looked to Vael, and all three of them shook their head and went back to digging. In short order they had uncovered a trap door- Saheila told them they'd send someone soon to come to cover it back up, the less the Magisters knew about this entrance the better.

The underground was far hotter than they'd been expecting it to be, and a quick run down the path explained why. There were some kind of _fire slugs _down here, leaving trails of sticky flaming goo in their wake everywhere they went. Vael walked closer, trying to see if they were hostile or not, and one of them _hailed her _claiming she was 'trespassing in the Princess's Royal Court'. Vael pulled herself up short and looked to Ifan and the Prince. "You heard that too, right?"

When they nodded, she turned back to the snail. "How can you talk?"

"I have a mouth, don't I?", the thing shot back.

"I, er, suppose...", she replied.

"You would be wise to leave here. My Princess is already in a foul mood; to have an uninvited guest show such ignorance would only inflame her further!"

"Well, look, we need to get off of this island, and the only way out is through here, so..." Vael couldn't believe that she was currently arguing with a slug, but then again the last few days had been one strange event after the next.

The thing seemed to ignore her then, only saying 'You've been warned' ominously as it traveled onward.

Vael looked to the other two, shook her head, then pressed on, avoiding patches of fire wherever possible. This got more difficult the further they descended into the cave, the deeper they went, the higher the temperature rose. Vael was navigating a particularly troublesome patch of fire and couple of slugs when she realized someone was speaking to her. She looked up to find herself staring down the largest slug she'd ever seen, fire or no.

"You there! Whatever you are, did Braccus send you? Is he ready to apologize?"

Vael stuttered for a moment. "You realize Braccus has been dead for centuries, right?"

The slug quivered at this. "Braccus is gone? You're telling me that my Braccus... my _betrothed _is NO MORE?!"

Ifan began to raise his crossbow but Vael reached back and gently pushed against it. "Yes, he died hundreds of years in the past."

The Princess slug broke into cheers at the news, chanting about being free and taking suitors.

With the slug distracted, Vael decided to head off before things got any stranger, quickly moving up the cave and into a more-hospitable area. They climbed rapidly up and out of the heat of the lower part of the cave, finding themselves in a small cave system... That dumped into a cell? This had to be the most insecure cell she'd ever seen. Another lizard started shouting at her as soon as she arrived, the volume only intensifying when Ifan and the Prince came into view.

"Who are you? Who are you!? You have to get out of here! Where are the guards? Guards! Help!"

Vael rushed forward and clamped a hand around the woman's mouth, silencing her cries with a quiet growl. "The guards are going to be the least of your problems if you don't shut up."

The woman nodded swiftly, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. Vael pushed her away and she settled onto her bed with a whimper, looking up at the three of them. Vael imagined she wasn't well at all and wasn't worth trying to drag with them. She seemed at least somewhat content to stay here, anyway.

Vael moved up to the door and tried the lock- Ifan gently pushed her aside. "Allow me."

"Where'd you get lockpicks?", she asked as he began to work at the door.

He grunted softly under his breath, and then with a click, pushed the door open. "One of the elves had some nails laying around. A little effort and a rock and that was that."

Vael looked to the now-open door. "Well then."

They shifted into the hall ahead, looking left, straight, and right. In the gloom, off to the right, Vael could hear voices- that way probably wasn't a good idea. To the left looked to be a door rusted shut, ahead of them was a door further up into the Fort. She imagined they'd be fighting their way out of here soon, but the longer they had to wait for that to happen, the better. They hurried up the stairs, hoping the large double doors would be open, but no luck. "Ifan?"

He slipped forward and crouched next to the door, inserting his tools. It took about a minute before he looked back to her and shook his head. "No good. Not with these, anyway."

Vael cursed softly under her breath, then looked back down the hall. "There were voices coming from the other way. If they're Magisters, they've got a key. What do you say?"

Ifan set his jaw and nodded, the Prince did the same. If getting off this island meant going through a few Magisters, then she supposed that's what they would just have to do. For a moment Vael remembered Lohse's stare but she shook her head and put it out of her mind. If that's what needed to be done, then so be it.

They turned and ventured back down the way they'd come, then went in the direction that they'd heard the voices. The three of them crept up along the wall and peered over a bit of fallen brickwork. What they saw came as a surprise. One of the Magisters had another on his back on the floor, foot on his chest, asking him questions about escaped Sourcerors. Vael looked to the Prince, this is what Atusa had been accused of, but this one seemed to be getting off somewhat easier.

Vael decided that the enemy of her enemy was her friend, and she stepped out from behind the wall. The other Magisters reacted with surprise, some of them rising out of their seats, weapons readied but not yet drawn. "Sourcerer! What do you think you're doing prowling around inside the fort!?"

Vael glanced back to Ifan who gave her a nod. "Well, you see, we were just along for a stroll, and we happened across a door that was locked. We were really hoping that one of you would be kind enough to give us a key."

The man laughed at her. "That's cute." He looked to the other Magisters, the one at his side pulled his sword from his sheath. "Dunno if my hounds'll make much of lizard meat. Even dogs have standards."

Vael growled under her breath. "Wrong answer."

She charged the man standing next to the one who'd been interrogating the man on the ground, knocking him off his feet before he could react. Ifan's bolt found the man's unprotected head- why did no one ever wear a helmet? You'd think they'd learn. The Prince quickly charged after an archer standing on a raised platform on either side of the room. Vael raised her sword, adjusted her grip, and brought it down into the Magister's chest, twisting the blade with a sickening crunch and pop. Ifan's next bolt found the second archer, though he'd taken an arrow in his arm for his trouble. From here it looked like the leather she'd given him had taken most of it, but he'd need to see to it.

The man on the ground coughed, barely able to lift his head up as Vael looked down at him. She gestured to the Prince to see to Ifan, make sure he was fine, then turned to the fallen Magister. "Healing, please, I need healing."

"Give me a way out of here and we might just be able to find a potion between the three of us," Vael smirked slightly.

"There's a boat that can take you into the dunes beyond. Two associates of mine run it. I can show you where." He looked up to her. "But they'll kill you if you don't know the password. Heal me and I'll gladly tell you."

Vael rummaged through her pack and pulled free one of the small potions they had. One of the _few _potions they had, some of Griff's people had a couple but that's all they'd managed to find so far. She unscrewed the top, crouched down, and with her other hand to help hold his head up, poured the contents into his mouth.

He slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "Thank you, thank you. Tell them, tell them 'Madame Zoor' sent you, and they will let you pass."

The lizard smirked, lifting her blade back up to rest on her shoulder. "Madame Zoor? You don't look like much of a Madame to me."

He managed a weak chuckle. "No, she's the headmistress of an orphanage that hides Sourcerer children and I couldn't think of a nobler soul in all the realm. Thank you, my friend. I won't forget what you've done."

Vael shrugged, then looked back to Ifan and the Prince. As she thought, the armor had taken the worst of it, but with a bit of cloth for a bandage and another potion, he seemed no worse for the wear. She began to look through the other Magisters' pockets for a key but didn't have any luck. She found a few more coins here and there, but nothing to really write home about. Then she had to sigh as she spotted it sitting on a stool nearby. She quickly pocketed it and gestured to Ifan and the Prince, who were searching elsewhere. "Any of this gear useful? We never know what we're going to find."

Ifan was able to fit himself out a little more appropriately, though he complained about the shoes being tight. Unfortunately for herself and the Prince, they didn't have much success- though the Prince did finally have an actual shield instead of a barrel lid. Fitted out as best as they could be at the moment, they moved back to the door they'd tried before, hoping the key would fit.

Vael reached out and slid the key into the lock, grinning as it turned. "Well, whatever comes next, let's give 'em hell, yeah?"

The Prince nodded. "It's been a pleasure traveling together so far."

Ifan showed off those teeth of his once again. "The more the merrier."

They pushed up through the door and up the stairs to find themselves at a higher level of the Fort. There were guards, Vael readied her sword, but... the guards just... stood there. She frowned and moved up to one, waving her hand in front of the Dwarf's face. "What in the world are these?"

Ifan and the Prince looked just as disconcerted. "They're like puppets."

Vael gave one a gentle poke with a finger, other than rocking back from the force, it didn't otherwise react. She frowned, then tilted her head to one side. "Wait. Water." She moved off down the hall, coming across a kid standing in front of two Magisters, and behind them, she could see the boat that would be their ticket out of here.

She readied her blade, Ifan his crossbow and the Prince is own sword as she stepped forward. "Any of you know the way to find Madame Zoor?"

One of the Magisters turned around and stared at her. "What would a lizardkin know about Zoor?"

She looked back to Ifan and the Prince, then the Magister. "There's no nobler soul in all the realm?"

The man nodded his head. "If you're taking this run, the kid'll have to go with you. Fiesty one, too. Liable to jump into the canal if you don't watch him close."

Vael sighed softly and relaxed her grip.

"He'll be alright once he gets settled in." The Magister gestured to the kid standing behind them. "We won't delay you, Carin 'n' I have guard duty comin' up. At least won't be late this time, what with Dallis sniffin' around for escapees."

"We don't want that, now do we?" She grinned to herself and stepped forward toward them.

He nodded his head. "Good luck to ya."

Vael stepped forward, though Ifan pushed ahead of her and approached the kid.

"Who are you?" He looked small and alone, though he wasn't wearing a collar, oddly enough.

"We're just looking for a way out of Fort Joy. I'm Ifan, this is Vaeltorya, and that's the Red Prince."

"I'm Han. So... you helped me out just there and I'd like to return the favor. You want to get out of here?"

"You have no idea." The three of them spoke almost in unison, drawing a grin from all of them.

"I've got a boat here with plenty of room. Let's go." Han gestured for them to follow.

They all piled into the boat and in short order, it sailed out into the burning midday sun. Vael couldn't help the sigh of relief as she looked up at the sky, a weight pulled off of her shoulders. They'd actually made it out. The swamp wasn't likely to be any more forgiving than the Fort was, but she'd much rather die free than in a place like Joy.

As soon as they arrived, Han handed the three of them a map, a place on it marked 'Shrine'. "Head here. My friends are there, tell them I sent you."

"Are you going there right now?" Vael looked down at him.

Han nodded. "That I am."

"Well, we'll just come with you, then."

He looked them over, then shook his head. "There are... things in the swamp. They ignore me most of the time, but you lot would draw attention. I'll tell them that you're on the way, though." With that, he hurried off, leaving Vael and the others standing in the sand of the beach they'd landed on.

"Well, I suppose we should get a move on then. Keep an eye out for whatever 'they' are." 

Ifan looked to the map, then to the north. "Remember that we need to find my man. Shouldn't be too far."

"That's right." Vael looked over the swamp ahead of them. "Out of the Joy and into the swamp... Not sure if I regret it not, yet."


	9. Swamp

The swamp proved to not be quite as overbearing as Vael had worried. There were paths through it, though often wet and sloppy ones that splattered mud across her scales, but she would prefer mud to being stuck in the Fort, she supposed. She'd decided to head North, first, to see what it was that Ifan's man had to give him. A proper weapon or some equipment would go far toward increasing their chances of success, as it was now she and the Prince were still wearing more or less their prison rags and she didn't fancy their chances should they get into a proper fight. So far they'd only had to fight through what were more or less ambushes, a prepared foe might be the end of them.

"I think that once we're done meeting Ifan's man, we should find these friends that Han spoke of, see if we can't get some better equipment off of them." She glanced back toward the Prince and Ifan. "What do you think?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," grunted Ifan.

The Prince moved up closer toward her to walk along at her side. "I agree, but there is something else."

She raised a brow as she looked to him. "And that would be?"

"When we travel to the Shrine," he gestured to the map, "I need to speak to another dreamer there. Bahara. Stingtail's visions were... confused, I need more clarity."

Vael nodded her head to this. "Well, we're heading there already, so I don't see the harm. So what's all this about, anyway? More things about your empire?"

He considered for a few moments before he answered her. "Yes and no. There is something else that I need to do... I need to find someone."

She grinned and looked sidelong at him. "Another someone? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were seeing someone else."

The Prince blustered slightly again before he cleared his throat. "Yes, well, the Red Prince does need his Princess after all."

Vael nodded with a quiet little 'ah', she thought there might be more to his tale. "I was wondering if there was more to this than just an Empire."

He harrumphed to himself and fell back once again, leaving Vael to smile as she considered what he'd said. She wondered if any of these Dreamers might be able to tell them anything useful not related to the Prince or if they were useless outside of 'destinies'.

Their trek paid off as before too long the ground ahead of them rose up and out of the swampy muck, putting solid footing underclaw once more. Ifan pulled ahead, walking up the path. "I believe that is my man there."

He gestured ahead to a skeletal man wearing armor, causing Vael to raise a brow. "How interesting, an Undead out in the open like this. Though I suppose a swamp would be a good place for them, not having to worry about rot." She gestured with a hand before Ifan could even ask. "Go ahead."

He grinned and tipped a nonexistent hat toward her before heading up to speak to their skeletal new friend. They muttered to one another for some time, prompting Vael to fall back near the Prince once more, nudging him with an elbow after she crossed her arms. "What do you think he's being so secretive about? Whispering and all that. We already know what he's doing."

The Prince placed his hands on his hips and shrugged. "To tell the truth, I don't know. He seems a 'closed' sort, perhaps he just likes his privacy."

She tilted her head to the side just enough to look at him out of one eye. "You're being pretty cagy yourself about all of this. I feel like I'm the only one without some secret past or destined goal."

The Prince drew himself up a little higher. "Not all of us can have a glorious destiny." He glanced to the side and realized she was smiling at him, he'd fallen right for her bait to preen himself. He deflated a little. "You have something going for you, don't you? You heard the voice just as we did."

Vael hummed to herself as she rolled that thought around in her head. "Well, I suppose that's right." She grinned as the Prince puffed up once again. "Though I don't have a dark past like the two of you seem to have. Prince consorting with demons,"- he snorted at that, "and a contract killer." She gestured with a claw to Ifan. He seemed to have gotten a fancy-looking new crossbow from the skeleton.

"What is your history then? A bed of roses and sweetmeats every night?" The Prince asked with a raised brow.

"No, nothing like that. I'm War, like you." He smiled at that, muttering a little 'oh?' in response. "I was a soldier, for a time. Then I came home, my mother always wanted me to run a library as she did. I poured myself into my books."

He cocked his head to the side. "Really? Which volume of Huwbert's Encyclopedia is your favorite?"

Vael considered, leaning back onto one foot. "I think that the obvious answer would be to say that the one where he covers our own Houses, though he does miss a few details." She waggled her claws. "But I have to say I was rather partial to his volume on the Chaos War, he covered more things than I would have expected and in more detail."

The Prince seemed impressed, but before he could say anything else, Ifan returned to the two of them, hefting his new crossbow with a wide grin. "This was worth it."

Vael breathed a quiet whistle through her teeth. "That's quite the weapon, what's it called?"

Ifan handed the bow to her. "The Shadow's Eye." He plucked a bolt from the quiver at his side and presented to her, tip first. "Care to fire the first one?"

Her eyes lit up as she took the bow from him, holding it in two hands. She breathed an appreciative sound as she hefted it, it was far lighter than any she'd held in her soldiering days but it felt _solid. _She hefted it to her shoulder and squinted down the sights to get a measure of them, then took the offered quarrel and slotted it into place. She racked the string back and sighted at a knot in a nearby tree, loosing her shot when she had it lined up. She lowered the bow and grinned, just slightly low and to the right, but that was likely her own doing rather than the new weapon.

Ifan looked appreciatively at her shot, taking the crossbow back when she offered it. "Knew you had it in you. A good weapon's one thing, but there's nothing on Rivellon like a good companion."

Vael smirked, that was one of Lucian's sayings. She replied with a further one. "The most powerful weapon of all is a man with a friend to strive for."

Ifan smiled all the wider, clapping the lizard on the back. "Let's hit the road, friend. I'm sensing we'll need to be good weapons out here."

The Prince raised a claw before venturing toward the skeleton. It appeared he was a merchant, maybe using that as a cover to smuggle in Ifan's new weapon, but when the Prince offered him a few things he'd picked up back in Joy, the skeleton seemed all too happy to trade with him. He soon enough returned with a new pair of metal-clad bracers and a helmet for himself, meaning the three of them finally had decent head protection. Vael looked across, and when the two seemed ready, she gestured with a hand to lead them further into the swamps.

As they traveled on, back into the lowlands and the muck, Vael raised her head and sniffed the air. She looked back to the Prince meaningfully, who did the same. She muttered under her breath. "Something smells like death, ahead." 

Vael hefted her blade and crept forward a little more quietly until she came upon the scene of what looked like a small skirmish, a few dead Magisters lay half-buried in the muck. "What were they doing out here?", Vael muttered, slipping close enough to the pair to have a good look. With her free hand, she shifted through their pockets, looking for coins, orders, a book, a journal, anything that might give them a good idea- she was rewarded with finding a small folded note in one of their jackets. She unfolded it atop the Magister's chest, frowning at what she read, though her brows went up quickly. "This is recent. It mentions Atusa, the lizard magister we saw." She pointed to the Prince. "They're looking for weapons, and a group called the "Seekers"." Vael frowned. "I've heard that name before."

The Prince tapped his chin. "Weren't they a group of Lucian's folk?" He shrugged. "No matter. If they're not friends to the Magisters, perhaps they'll be friends to us."

Vael nodded her head as she stood and moved on. "We'll need all the help we can get, I imagine."

As they traveled south through the marshlands, moving up and down with the terrain, the trio came across more skeletons, though far less friendly than Ifan's contact had been. These still seemed to serve Braccus Rex, though long dead, or at least some other leader, they remained hostile to the group. They came across hostile fauna, as well, more hostile than the swamp already was anyway, that the Prince called 'Noxious Bulbs', they certainly lived up to the name regardless. The group was forced to give those a wide berth.

Further South and East in the woodlands, they came across a cliff while circling around another group of Bulbs. Ifan pulled them up short as he pointed out over the terrain. "Look, there. A bell."

Vael traveled back to peer at it. "How curious. It looks like a ship's bell, but it's been set up again in the middle of nowhere." She looked at the two of them. "We are getting close to where Han's friends are supposed to be, should we give it a look?"

As they skirted further along the cliff, trying to find a way down to where they'd spotted the bell, Vael felt a chill run down her spine and she halted, looking at some ruins up ahead. There were fires set that looked recent, but she couldn't see any sign of what might have caused it. "Wait. I have a bad feeling about this."

She crept forward a few more paces and as soon as her claw touched the stones of the ruin, the three heard a rumbling groan from the earth around them. The dirt itself was pushed aside to disgorge more Voidwoken horrors, causing Vael to growl and heft her blade. "Voidwoken!" She stepped closer to Ifan, who'd already raised his crossbow and fired, piercing one of the creatures, and the Prince who raised his shield and sword.

The creatures began to crawl toward the group, intoning words with a voice that chilled Vael to the bone. _'Vermin. Thieves. Pests. Leeches.'_

The Prince struck down the one who ventured the closest to the group with a swing of his blade. "Are they describing themselves?!"

Vael growled as she slammed her blade down upon another who ventured too close, pointing with her claw as another sprouted from the ground. "There's more of them! Every one we strike down another replaces."

Ifan chuckled at this news. "More target practice!"

The creatures kept coming, and the group, back to back, kept striking them down whenever they came into reach. Whenever one got clever and tried to skirt around them, Ifan was there, ending its journey with a bolt from his crossbow. They continued to taunt the group, calling them vermin, thieves, one particularly large one charged the group.

_'We were first. We were first. We will be the last.'_

The Prince and Vael sliced it open in several places, together, and the ground around them was finally still. The last of the creatures twitched and died, leaving the swamp quiet once again. As Vael stepped back with a huffed breath, the ground around her and the Prince erupted into shimmering water, leaving her feeling soothed. A scratch from one of the creatures healed itself before her eyes, and she turned her confused and alarmed gaze upon the Prince.

A voice rang out, a voice that Vael instantly recognized. _'Kin. Child of the sands. Find me. Fine me...'_ The voice drifted away on the winds, leaving Vael standing there with her mouth hanging open.

She quickly turned to the Prince to ask, but he got there before she did. "You heard it too?"

Vael pursed her lips and looked around herself. "I did. It was the same voice from before, the one I heard in the water."

Ifan moved toward them, picking his way through the field of corpses, plucking a still-good bolt from one here or there. "I'm glad I'm not the only one hearing things."

She shook her head with another little sigh. "I really wish I'd stayed on the boat." She used some of the shimmering water and a bit of nearby grass to clean her blade of the blood that coated it, the stuffed seemed particularly rancid and evil, it stained the water and smelled terrible.

However, with the ruin clear and quiet once again, they seemed to have a straight path down toward the bell they'd seen from the cliff, giving Vael a little hope that they'd find shelter and safety once again sooner rather than later. The path down was coated in even more of the bulbs, but the group picked their way through until they finally found the bell they'd seen before. A quick check of the map revealed they were in just about the right area to meet Han's friends. "Well, if this is some kind of a trap, it was nice knowing the two of you."

Vael reached up and rung the bell, just once, sending the tolled note rolling out over the quiet marshlands.

All seemed silent for a minute or two until a quiet rustling from above broke the gloom. A lizard woman, crossbow at the ready, peered over a rock ledge above down at the group. "Stand back, kinswoman, and keep your hands off your weapons! Convince me you're no Magister, or draw one last, deep breath!"

Vael held her hands over her head, after laying her sword down on the ground. "Do I look like a Magister to you?" She raised her tail to tug at the collar around her neck, a collar the Prince and Ifan both wore as well. "We're friends of Han. He told us where to find you."

The woman smiled then, lowering her crossbow. "So you're the ones Han mentioned. May the goddess keep you for saving that little lionheart! Young Han told me the story of his rescue. Oh, you are most welcome indeed."

Vael looked curiously to the others and mouthed 'rescue?' to them, but they both shrugged. "Yeah, that's us."

The lizard nods then throws down a coiled vine rope for the three to climb. "Come, ascend to the sanctuary of Amadia. You'll find you're not the only guest here, but the Great Mother provides for all."

Vael raised a brow at that, but soon enough she and the others had climbed the rope of vines up to the ledge to join the woman. "Excuse me, but we're looking for-"

The Prince brushed past her and extended a hand toward the lizard woman. "Are you Bahara? I can see the answers spinning in your eyes."

The woman stood up straight at the question, her brows raised, but nodded her head. "I am."

The Prince looked back to Vael. "Do rest your legs for a bit while I question her."

Vael nodded, heading off to the side to sit down onto a particularly sunny bit of rock. "As you wish." Ifan joined her, stretching himself out, crossbow on his lap, as he leaned back against the rock face behind them. She watched curiously as the Prince exchanged pleasantries with the woman, then the two of them lay down together on the ground, in a rather intimate embrace, and fell asleep.

Upon noticing her raised brow, Ifan grinned and nudged her with his elbow. "Jealous."

"Not at all. Just... intrigued." Vael grinned back at him, lifting a hand to rest her chin on her fist. "I've never laid with a Dreamer, and he does it so casually. I wonder what it's like."

Ifan shrugged, his hands behind his head as she leaned back. "I've no idea."

Vael looked toward him. "So, how many contracts have you fulfilled in the past? You seem so casual about all this."

He pauses for a moment, lowers his hands, then starts counting on his fingers- for far longer than Vael would have expected. "Fourty-three. Give or take."

Vael whistled at that. "And you haven't retired yet?"

He shook his head. "I don't work for the money. It's good to have a trade. At least for me. The Lone Wolves gave me purpose when I needed just that." He breathed out a long breath. "Sometimes the contracts keep me going when I'm not sure what else could."

Vael chewed her bottom lip at the thought, then something else sprung to mind. The way he carried himself, how comfortable he was with weapons, armor, some of the phrases he used. "Did you serve? In the military?"

Ifan nodded his head, though something flit across his expression as he did. "In Lucian's own army."

Vael sucked in a breath. "In his forces?" She tilted her head. "And... now you're aiming to kill his son?"

Ifan's expression hardened, and he nodded. "A contract is a contract. Lone Wolves don't ask questions, we just do the work." He growled. "Besides, it isn't like Alexandar is a delicate little innocent, now is it? You've seen his work." He let out a long sigh. "There's a reason I don't do Order work anymore. But... let's talk about those old days another time."

Vael was about to press a further question when she noticed the Prince and dreamer thrashing upon the ground. She stood, raising her blade, just in case, but almost as soon as it had begun, it stopped, and the two woke. "What happened!? Are you okay?"

The Prince looked shaken and tired, as did the Dreamer. "I am now. There was death in that dream, chasing me like a hundred hungry lions! But at least I've new directions."

Vael slowly lowered her weapon with a nod. "Directions are good. Where to?"

"When we escape and find ourselves on the mainland once more, I must search for Brahmos the Wanderer. Then I will finally know the truth. The very secret of my soul." Despite his... dramatic words, he seemed hopeful, his gaze turned to the ground and his hand on his chest.

Vael glanced to Ifan and shrugged her shoulders. "Well, you seem confident we'll make it off this rock, so I'll take it at that." She looked to Bahara, then, glad the woman also seemed okay. "We'd like to head further in. We could use supplies, equipment."

She nodded, then gestured with a claw. "You'll want to see the guests. Seekers. They're brave people and friends to Sourcerers, but you'll find them a battered band here today, brought low by bloody battle." 

Vael grinned at the woman's alliteration. "I appreciate the information. We'll go see them now."

The woman bowed her head, gesturing further down the rocky tunnel. "They await beyond."


	10. Sanctuary

The trio ventured further down the path, soon enough coming into a large, fairly open space with a rocky spire surrounded by wooden scaffolding in the center. The air here felt cooler, drier than it did in the swamp, breezes filtering through off of the sea through a break in the wall that surrounded it. As they walked onward, Vael spotted Han speaking to a lizard wearing armor. She couldn't overhear much of their conversation as she approached, and once she got close enough the lizard woman looked up.

Ifan looked off the side toward what looked like some kind of hospital and clapped Vael on the arm, excusing himself as Vael stepped closer to the lizard. 

Han looked up to her and a grin broke on his face. "You're alive! Wasn't sure you would be. Samadel, this is the one I told you about."

Vael inclined her head to the woman. "Good to meet you."

Up close, Vael could see that her armor looked like it had seen better days, caked with mud and blood and who knows what else. The woman's eyes looked hopeful but guarded as they gazed across. "Han tells me you helped him out of Fort Joy? For that, you have my thanks."

Vael nodded. "We did. Though I'm not sure how much 'help' we were, we just... walked up. Han helped us more than anything."

Han piped up. "We helped each other, that's what Sourcerers need to do nowadays."

The lizard woman hesitated. "Did you happen to meet a man named Gareth on your way here?"

Vael looked back to the Prince and shook her head. "No, we didn't meet anyone but some skeletons and bugs."

"He'll be back, Samadel! I know he will. He _has _to." Han almost seemed to believe himself.

"Indeed. We need our leader. And if he doesn't return with help soon... we haven't a hope." 

Vael pursed her lips, hefting her sword over her shoulder as she glanced to the Prince. "Well, I'm sure we might could lend a hand-" the lizard woman's eyes brightened- "But we'll need better equipment to do so. We can't go venturing out into the swamp again like this." She gestured to the state of herself and the Prince, their 'armor' little more than prison rags and a few bits of leather.

"Talk to Gareth's squire, Exeter. He'll know how best you can help and how to help you."

Vael nodded, then glanced to Han as he spoke again. "Catch you later, skipper. It's good you're here."

Vael smirked at that, shaking her head as she headed off to find Ifan. If they were going on another adventure they'd need their erstwhile archer.

She found him not too far up the path he'd gone down, looking embarrassed and cleaning blood off of his hands while a young woman thanked him repeatedly. Vael raised a brow as she strode up, listening to the woman singing Ifan's praises.

"Thank you! Thank you! I don't know what they'd have done without you. I'm just a cook, not a healer, I was at my wit's end."

Vael looked between the two of them. "What happened?" There were three people in various stages of rest, a lizard, an elf and a dwarf that looked like they'd seen better days.

The woman moved off to further tend to them as Ifan looked to his friend. "Just a bit of first aid. She doesn't have any training, they should pull through now with any luck."

Vael grinned at that. "Never really figured you as a doctor there, Ifan."

He shrugged. "You learn a thing or two, patching yourself up after contracts. What's the plan?"

She gestured with her free hand. "We're to find someone named Exeter. We may just have another task ahead of us, but hopefully, we'll get some better equipment out of it." She nudged Ifan's shoulder with the hilt of her sword and smiled. "Not that you've need of much help. You humans all being more or less the same size."

He chuckled at that. "My aching feet could use a better fit of boots. If we've got a job to do, though, let's get to it."

The woman looked up at the group. "If you need Exeter, he's just down there." She pointed further down the path. "Please, if you can help Gareth like you did the others, see him at once."

Vael grinned toward Ifan as she began to walk. "So there's more to you than just an assassin, after all, it seems." He didn't respond, leaving her to chuckle to herself as she headed off toward Exeter. He wasn't hard to locate, the description of 'squire' fit him rather well; a young man, clad in armor, looking worried out of his mind as the trio strode up to him.

As they strode up, he looked to them, his face rapidly shifting through expressions as he both realized that they were there and that they weren't familiar faces. "Who the blazes are you?"

Vael looked off to one side, watching two Dwarves talking for a moment, one looked distraught, the other trying to comfort her. "We fled from Fort Joy. We're trying to find a way off the island."

"That's easier said than done, I'm afraid." He ran his fingers over the bow at his side. "The Magisters have us cornered - they have these... _weapons _called Shriekers. If we try to go against them unprepared, we're dead. We've lost many already."

"What in the hells is a Shrieker?" Vael planted the tip of her blade in the ground, leaning on it slightly as she spoke.

"They were Sourcerers once, but after whatever... perversions the Magisters subjected them to, they're death incarnate. If they can see you, they can kill you- instantly." He shook his head. "After we retreated here, our leader, Sir Gareth, set out looking for some ancient weapons that could counter those things. Then we could break the Magister blockade and escape this island. But he hasn't returned, if Sir Gareth doesn't come back with those weapons in tow, well... this island will be our grave."

Vael pursed her lips. "Well, we'll go look for this Gareth then." As Exeter's face brightened, she held up a finger. "But we'll need equipment, weapons, supplies. We can't go back out in the swamp like this."

"If you'll help us, you'll get what you need." He sighed, his over-sized armor clanking down onto his shoulders. "If you help us, we'll get you off this island, too." He led the four of them onward, past a large shrine to Amadia, likely what gave this place its name, then toward what looked like a makeshift armory. He went to speak, his head hanging for a moment before he continued. "We... have surplus equipment here. Please, take what you need."

Vael raised a brow. "Just like that?"

He nodded his head, already beginning to walk away. "They don't need it anymore."

Vael watched him go, then turned to the others, gesturing to the equipment. "Well, have at it, it seems." She began to rifle through things herself, looking for armor, a better sword perhaps- hers was a little heavy in the hilt, she liked it heavy toward the blade. Anything would be useful though, bags for carrying supplies, waterskins. She looked up as the Prince approached one of the Seekers, an armored man who looked rather lost.

"Few things are as sad as a broken sword, my friend. Is that rapier important to you in some way?" The Prince gestured to the weapon he held in his hand, the blade nicked and splintered, the hilt twisted into almost unusability. 

The man held the damaged blade up to the light. "This was Hallorn's blade. It was his first. It was also his last. He didn't intend to die here, but die here he did. He was an ordinary soul with an extraordinary heart, Hallorn. And he died for what he believed."

The Prince took the blade, and as Vael watched he raised the sword and brought it down, flat and hard, on the edge of the table before them. The point broke away, leaving a shorter, jagged blade. The Prince flipped the blade in his hands and handed it back to the man, hilt first. "A blade like that shouldn't be thrown away. Maybe now it will see use again."

The man looked from the blade to the Prince. "Who _are _you?"

"A reason to keep going, if you like." The Prince gave him a smug sort of grin, fluffing himself up. He turned away then, looking to get himself some better equipment like the others.

Vael smirked at all of this, watching as the man realized he was now holding a battle-ready weapon rather than a piece of junk. He tucked it away in his belt, giving the bent hilt a pat with his fingers, then went back to work sorting the refuse from the battle-ready.

She shook her head, turning to her task at hand like the others.

\-----

It took a good while, but soon enough the three of them looked like a proper adventuring party. Vael found a set of decent-enough armor in her size, it even still had most of the tail-armor still attached. She hadn't found another blade just yet, but the one she had now had served her decently enough so far so she wasn't particularly bothered. Ifan had changed a few pieces but looked mostly the same, though Vael did notice that he'd found himself a new pair of boots.

The Prince looked positively resplendent, however. Vael didn't know how he'd managed it. He'd found actual plate in his size and with a little work had it looking shined up and magnificent, as well as a larger shield and a sword that he seemed more comfortable with. All of them had taken a few bags and things to carry supplies with, as well as a bedroll sitting atop their packs, just in case.

Vael looked to the other two and nodded her head. "Now let's go find that Gareth. I imagine we can handle almost anything that comes at us on this island, now."

Vael strode back the way they'd come, looking for Exeter. "So tell us about where we might find Gareth."

He looked up and seemed almost to not recognize them again, though he couldn't help but smile at the sight of them now. "I wish I could help you more, but he said only that he was going to find the weapons and took off. He spoke to Gratiana before he left, she might know more."

Vael raised a brow at the name and he gestured toward the shrine, where Vael realized that he was pointing at someone she hadn't noticed before. A woman standing up above the waters of the shrine as they rested below the statue. "Oh." She nodded her head to him and started right off that way.

As Vael approached the woman, she stood and turned, facing the group. Her entire body was covered, even her face concealed by a mask, only two dark holes showing where her eyes might be. The woman clasped her hands before herself. "Amadia's blessings, child. I have not seen this face in our sanctuary before. Pray, who are you?"

Vael gestured to herself, Ifan, the Prince, giving their names. "We're trying to find our way off this island. Exeter said that you might have more information. Something you may have told Gareth."

"You seek the same information as Gareth? You stand in the peace of Amadia's love and search for more ways to kill. What creatures we are." The Priestess hung her head.

Vael frowned at that, adjusting her stance. "To be quite honest with you I won't feel 'peace' until I've seen the last of this island, but we're trying to find Gareth for the Seekers. This swamp isn't particularly safe, anyway, not with Voidwoken and undead and who knows what else."

The woman considered this for a moment. "I always felt safe in Amadia's presence, but now that the Voidwoken stalk the swamp... perhaps you are right." She clasped her hands before herself again. "On this island lies an ancient armory, filled with soulforged weapons powerful enough to turn aside any Shrieker."

"And that's where Gareth went?"

She nodded. "Yes, he pestered me for aid. When I finally told him about a cache of Braccus's soulforged weapons hidden in the marsh, he rushed away to find it. A bold moved but ill-advised. Unless he returns with weapons enough, I fear none of these Seekers will leave this island with air in their lungs."

Vael sighed, lifting a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "If you tell us where he went, we can save him. We just need directions."

Reluctantly, the woman continued. "He set off to the North, to the ruins of Braccus's Source armory, but there is no way to know what he found there. If he even survived the swamps."

Vael nodded, looking to the others. "North it is then." She looked back to the Priestess. "Thank you."

"Walk ever in Amadia's grace, child." The woman turned back to her shrine as the three walked away.

Vael looked to Ifan and the Prince and gestured to her head, giving them a grin as she waggled her finger, implying that the Priestess might not all be there, then headed back the way they'd come. They passed Bahara, climbed down the vines, and found themselves back in the swamp once more.

"She said North, so let's head North. I thought I might have seen something while we were traveling through anyway. Some sort of raised path that connected to what your friend was standing on." She pointed to Ifan. 

They headed back along the path they'd come down, though when they spotted the undead merchant's broken bridge, they turned slightly more east, heading deeper into the swamp. They came upon a particularly poisonous part of the swamp, literally in a few places. The area looked like it had been a camp once, though it now stood in abandoned ruins. Vael stepped forward, almost stepping into an... oddly-shimmering puddle. "What in Gods' name is this."

Her companions stepped forward and the Prince drew in a breath. "I've seen this before, in a laboratory. This is liquid Source. What's it doing out here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Vael reached out a foot and dipped a toe in it, shuddering at the warm, cold, gooey, _odd _feeling of it, contradictory and _right _at the same time. "Oh, I shouldn't have done that." She carefully wiped her claw clean on a bit of grass, then took a wide berth around the puddle.

Deeper in toward the camp, they spotted some flaming pigs, filling the air with the scent of bacon, but Vael had seen quite enough strange things today and skirted carefully around them. Looking up, she realized that there was a fortification connected to the bridge- this might just be what they were looking for. "Look for a way up."

The three of them searched and it was Ifan who found what they were looking for, a tangled mass of vines thick and strong enough it seemed they'd be able to climb to reach the roadway above. As they climbed, Vael heard a squeal and a bang as one of the pigs wandered into one of the puddles of poison in the swamp, setting it on fire. She looked down at her two friends and shook her head, then continued climbing.

When they reached the top, they found themselves standing on a bridge across the swamp, still in _relatively _good shape if you ignored the sections that'd collapsed. The fortification before them was thankfully still connected, and abreast the door in the wall stood two metal signs, one still legible enough to see the crossed swords engraved into the metal. "Well, I think we found our armory. Let's hope Gareth's still inside."

Vael passed through the door and spotted red ahead of her, she crouched down and scurried into the cover of some nearby brush, poking her head up and over the leaves to see what was ahead. A group of Magisters stood among burning rubble, around a gate of some kind, muttering about 'purging sticks' and Seekers. She looked to the two of them, pointed to Ifan, gesturing toward two archers standing on the left, then to herself and the Prince, pointing toward two standing on the right. When they nodded, the three of them broke cover and charged the Magisters.

"Runaways!", cried a Magister as the three of them barreled into them, but they'd caught the Magisters off guard. Vael took one of them's arm as soon as she got in range, the Prince pouncing upon the other in a flail of blows. Ifan had taken cover behind a tree, leaning out to take shots at the archers. One of them was already down, the other a bolt stuck out of his shoulder.

The Magisters went down quickly, but Vael could still hear sounds of fighting coming from ahead. She lifted her blade and gestured toward the stairs, charging up them with the Prince on her heels. "Gareth! We're coming!"

They passed through a smoky doorway and found themselves in the middle of a battle, someone that she assumed to be Gareth had the high ground, hiding behind a statue and chucking fire down at Magisters who had themselves taken cover, an Archer leaning out to take potshots at the beleaguered Seeker. When the three of them charged through the doorway it took them completely by surprise, and the fight was quick and bloody. 

Vael wiped her sword clean on one of the Magisters as she looked at the other two. "Anyone hurt?" When they shook their heads, she turned back to Gareth with a grin. "Seems like we got here just in time."

He looked down at them from the platform above and raised a hand in greeting. "Your courage in the face of danger is inspiring, my friend. Lucian guided your blows rightly!"

Vael raised a brow and glanced to Ifan, who groaned. "I don't know if Lucian had anything to do with it, but are you hurt?"

He shook his head, then looked the three of them up and down. "You're no Magisters, judging from those collars around your necks. How'd you come to be here?"

"We recently escaped from Fort Joy. We found your people in the Sanctuary, they told us where you were." Vael lowered her sword, letting the tip rest on her armored boot.

"Good! Then you know us, and you know we can help you. And perhaps, you can help us."

"That's the idea, my friend. We heard you were looking for weapons, something to beat the Shriekers. Did you find anything?" Vael placed her other hand on his hip.

"No. There wasn't anything here save a barred gate. I heard stirrings further East along the island, however, another cavern where we might find something." He stepped down toward them- Vael supposed he wasn't too bad looking, for a human. "I must return to my Seekers. Good luck with your search, my friends. You'll always have a place at the Seekers' table."

He hurried past them, then back the way they'd come. "Well, I guess we're headed East then. Let him go back and organize his Seekers, maybe by the time we return they'll be ready?" The others nodded and Vael lifted her sword from her boot. "Good, then. To the East."


	11. Godwoken

It seemed whatever damage the pigs had done to the swamp was only temporary, as when they climbed back down the vines to relatively-solid ground the fires had all but gone out. Save for the fires on the pigs, which just made Vael want to avoid them even more. She really didn't have the time to deal with squealing, flaming, mobile bacon. She avoided another puddle of Source-juice, heading east through the ruins. "This path looks solid enough, though I wonder what happened to-"

Before she could finish her question, there was a sound from all around them, dusty, clanking clattering bones as skeletons appeared on all sides. Vael took a combat stance, raising her sword when her eye caught a massive shape looming over the cliff ahead. A voidwoken, bigger than she'd seen yet if you didn't count the thing that had attacked the ship, slithered to the edge.

The thing hissed and taunted them from the ledge, swaying in its superior position. Vael immediately charged up the wooden scaffold to her right, leaping across the gap to find an undead standing above them. It seemed surprised to see her charging it so soon, and it raised crossed wands in an attempt to defend itself. Vael's blade smashed right through them and the skeleton itself, sending bones scattering every which way. Ifan wheeled and raised his crossbow, looking above them on the opposite side. A skeleton archer was just starting to draw back it's string when his bolt smashed through its skull, carting it off into the trees as the thing clattered to bits across the wood.

The Prince charged ahead with a yell, his shield smashing another skeleton to bits as it rose from the ground before them, leaving them staring down another skeleton on the high ground, one on the low ground before them and the voidwoken on the ledge. It reared its head back, growing deep and guttural. _'You. You. I found you. Prince. Tyrant. Ifan. Failed follower of the Divine. And you. **Mistake**. **Spare.**' _It spat the last word at Vael quite literally, a glob of spit landing a short distance away from her, steaming and sputtering on the wood.

It lept from its perch above, sailing over the Prince to land behind him. He barely raised his shield in time to block a strike from the thing's claws. Vael growled as she began down the scaffolding. "Prince! I'm coming!"

Ifan clambered up atop the wood to gain the high ground, going to a knee and sighting his crossbow as the low-ground skeleton charged the Prince and the Voidwoken. A bolt smashed through the thing's neck-bones, scattering them and sending it to pieces. Vael charged into the melee with the voidwoken, swinging her blade, but this one seemed far more prepared for a fight than most of their opponents so far. Its tail crashed into her, sending her flying back to land hard upon the dirt. Claws raked the Prince's armor, causing him to cry out in pain as they punctured through.

Vael saw the last skeleton smashed to bits by another bolt as she recovered herself and lept upon the thing once again, slamming her sword down across it's back. The thing recoiled in pain, bleeding cursed and bubbling blood that hissed as it spattered across the ground. It spun, turning its attention to Vael, a claw lashing out that she barely managed to duck- if she hadn't, it might have taken her head clean off. The Prince took this opportunity to step forward with his blade, burying it deep into the creature's unprotected side. Vael heard but didn't see a bolt slam into it from another direction, sending the thing reeling.

She stepped forward, but the Prince beat her to the blow, his blade sliding up into the thing's jaw from below, puncturing up into where Vael hoped its brain would have been. As the thing hissed and died, she could have sworn she heard it hiss _'sssspare' _though she might have been hearing things in the heat of the moment.

As Vael slowly relaxed, moving toward the Prince, the ground beneath them erupted into shimmering water. _'You hear my voice. My Goddess voice. Come to me, my kin. My child...' _Before her eyes the Prince's wound beneath his armor healed and faded away, Vael could feel the bruises where she'd been crushed by the thing's tail disappearing. She stared at him, questioning, and he nodded his head, confirming he'd heard it too.

Ifan climbed down, walking to the two of them. "Again? I thought it came from somewhere..."

Vael started to nod, then almost unbidden her eyes glanced to a statue, sitting behind where the voidwoken had been, resting against the mountainside. "There, maybe? Look." She pointed, and the other two turned to look at it as well. 

They climbed the ledge where the voidwoken had been, leaving the thing to bubble and bleed out its last onto the ground, then ventured toward the statue. As Vael got close, she found herself growing warmer, her hand drawn toward the thing. The Prince and Ifan seemed to be experiencing the same thing, each of the three reaching out toward the statue.

Vael's claws touched the feet of it and she felt herself falling away, the ground opening beneath her as she drifted into the dark.

\-----

Vael's eyes blinked slowly open; she found herself laying on her back, an alien sky above her. She felt like she was within a massive cavern and yet as if the sky above opened clear into the stars, a very disorienting feeling. As she pushed herself up, she heard a sound at her side- The Prince was here, as well. "What... happened? Where am I... are we?" She shook her head, raising a hand to it. She felt groggy.

The Prince shook his head as well, forcing himself to his feet. "I feel like I might have overindulged at my last banquet." He reached down, helping Vael off of the ground. "This place feels familiar, somehow."

_'Come to me.'_

The voice sounded out all around them like it was part of the space they were within. Vael looked to the Prince, then gestured for him to lead on. If he was even slightly more familiar with this place than she was, she'd follow him. He led the way, for once, down a pathway made of hexagonal stones that seemed to rise up from the depths themselves to form walkways, pathways, walls. Some glowed, but most were dull green-grey stone. 

As they rounded a corner on the path, Vael saw something up ahead, a shimmering figure, golden and bright. A feeling of warmth washed over her, the same feeling she remembered from the beach. _'Champion'_, came the voice again. A glance at the Prince, but he didn't seem to have heard that one. For some reason, she felt as if she should fall back and wait, as they approached a ramp of the oddly-shaped stones that led up to where the figure stood. She motioned for the Prince to move upward, letting him approach the figure first.

He stepped up toward the figure, someone who seemed... matronly, almost. Definitely feminine, but Vael couldn't quite place a name to the face before her. The woman reached out to the Prince, Vael could hear snippets of song drifting down, but it was like the words weren't meant for her as she couldn't make them out. She could hear 'Prince' and 'King', but all the other words seemed to fade to nothing before they reached her ears.

The woman reached out to the Prince, they embraced, her shape changed, the gold fading until a red-scaled lizard stood before the Prince. He reacted in surprise- Vael supposed maybe this was the 'secret of his soul', this princess, as red as he was. She knew the legends, what they meant... is that what he was searching for? Her head tilted as she watched them meet, the Prince leaned forward, they kissed. Vael looked away, not wanting to intrude on the moment; when she looked up again they'd parted. A few more words passed between them, she touched his forehead and he simply vanished, leaving behind a shimmering veil of light before that, too, faded away.

Vael waited, expecting to be sent away as well, but the figure turned toward her, the guise of the red Princess fading away to leave just the golden, shining woman staring down at her. A hand raised, a finger crooked, beckoning her forward. Vael pursed her lips, her foot rising to the ramp before her. _'Rise, child.'_

The woman spoke to her without her mouth moving, directly to her like she was speaking to her soul. Vael climbed higher, approaching her, and the woman broke into song. As Vael drew closer to her, she finally realized who she was looking at and the glowing figure's features coalesced. She'd seen her features everywhere back home, on statues- Zorl-Stissa.

Vael blinked, raising her hands to her eyes, rubbing at them. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It had to be a trick of the mind, didn't it? The woman's eyes softened as Vael approached, the melody of her song strengthening. It was like a half-remembered melody, something her mother used to sing to her when she was a child. Familiar and comforting and warm. She stood before Vael, her fingers tented, her tail coiled demurely around her feet. Her features didn't look as hard as they had in the statues, they were more matronly and affectionate.

The words of the Goddess' song reached her ears, coiled in and around them, seeped into her, warm and soft. _'I called a hero from the chaff; I called her here to me. I called a hero from below, and she shall set us free.'_

Vael blinked, the song felt like it was trying to put her to sleep. She wanted nothing more than to step closer, into the comforting embrace of the Goddess before her. Zorl-Stissa's arms parted, welcoming her. Vael took a single step forward, closer toward her.

The Goddess stepped closer, bringing the two of them scant inches from one another. Her hands turned, palms up, fingers extended, welcoming Vael into her embrace. All she had to do was step closer, she knew it, and she'd find herself in her arms, warm and safe. Zorl-Stissa's tail unfurled from around her legs, swaying out behind her as if in a gentle breeze, floating of its own accord through the air. Her voice rose again in the next verse of the song, calling Vael closer to her. _'Hear and heed my call, my love, your hand is mine to hold; hear and heed my call, my love, I've secrets to unfold.'_

Vael recognized the song, it was an old hymn, she thought. Something her mother used to sing to her when she was a child. The warmth and familiarity of it filled her, she began to hum the tune in time with the Goddess... As she did, something changed. The warmth of the song seemed to drop away, as Vael filled her mind with the effort of singing and her own rendition of the melody, some of the warmth of the woman before her seemed to drop away. Her features hardened, reminding Vael of the statues she'd seen back home, more and more. Cold, aloof, distant.

Zorl-Stissa's hand lifted, caressing across the side of Vael's cheek, her hand warm and soft against her scales. Her song seemed to rise to a crescendo now, the words trying to find their way back into Vael's mind, to drag her back down into the warmth and safety. _'You are mine, you are my own; your life belongs to me. You are mine, you are my own; my Champion to be.'_ The last verse seemed... harsher than the others, Vael couldn't tell if it was because she'd managed to break the spell or if the words hid something other than their obvious meaning.

She shook her head slowly and stepped back, raising a hand to block the woman's visage from her eyes. "Wait. Please. Something isn't right."

Zorl-Stissa's hands lowered and she stepped back, her eyes narrowing to slits. Her features hardened, appraising Vael as she stood before her. She seemed as if she was about to scold Vael, but then her hands parted once again, palms up, and the Goddess smiled.

She was radiant, Vael could see it now, and not just from the light that flowed from her like a river. When her Goddess smiled, her beauty shown through, like a transformation, from cold and distant, to the warmth and affection she'd felt and seen at first. "Very good." For the first time, her mouth moved with the words, rather than coil and curl around Vael's ears.

She managed to straighten herself, stand tall, stare on somewhat-even terms at the woman before her. She felt like she'd just passed some sort of test...

"You are not easily seduced, even by those you _should _be able to trust. I'm impressed. It seems I have chosen well." Zorl-Stissa steepled her hands again, some of the warmth fading from her gaze.

Vael stared at her, confused. She was chosen? Hadn't she just been brought here with the Prince? She looked behind herself, looking for him, but he was gone. "Chosen for what?", she finally asked as she turned her gaze back to the glowing figure before her. 

She stood taller, prouder, height truly on display as she raised herself up, almost a full head taller than Vael herself. She could see why this woman had been worshipped, she seemed to be a true paragon of their kind. "You will lead our kind back to divinity. You will ascend. _You _are my Godwoken."

That word again. Vael'd heard it before, in her studies. Those chosen by the gods, like Lucian. Those who had the potential to ascend, become a God themselves, walk the world as something else, something _more. _She frowned, checked behind herself for the Prince once again, but he still wasn't there. "Surely you mean the Prince? I-"

Zorl-Stissa raised a hand, cutting her off. "The Prince has his own Destiny. One you do not share. I give him blessings and gifts, I speak to him as I speak to you now, but the two of you are meant for different things." She steepled her hands again, her tail curling back slowly around her feet, and for a moment Vael saw nothing but a smug cat standing there before her Goddess began to speak once more. "You are my chosen Champion. You must _rise._"

"Me? But I'm just a nobody. A soldier, a scholar, I-" She was cut off again as Zorl-Stissa's hand raised to her, lifting her chin so that Vael would look her in the eye.

"You know it, deep down. You've always been different. Why did you leave the military?" The Goddess's eyes seemed to bore into Vael's own.

She stammered. "My m-mother, I, she wanted..." But she knew that wasn't why. She'd always felt it, the anger she struggled to control. She didn't know where it came from, she'd had a happy childhood, she'd served in the Empire's military with pride, she'd served her house, she'd chosen to come home. And always below it, in battle, in conversation. The slightest injury, a slight, a faint insult, it could bring her anger bubbling to the surface. An anger she never understood. "Because... I was afraid." 

Zorl-Stissa nodded her head slowly. "You were. But the time for that has passed. You have always had Source, my child." The Goddess's fingers lifted and gently jostled the collar around Vael's neck. "You suppressed it, hid it away. But it has always been a part of you. _Potential. _It just needed a purpose. I will give it one."

Vael frowned, but she couldn't deny the Goddess's words. "What did you call me? A... Godwoken?"

Zorl-Stissa nodded. "Indeed. You are exceptional, even among our kind. Let me show you." Zorl-Stissa's hand extended, a claw barely flexed. She raised it, pointing at Vael, tilting her hand as the feeling followed the moving digit.

Vael struggled, almost wanted to call out for her to stop. She could feel it rising, that _anger _filling her up, like it was about to explode out of her like a raging flame. Zorl-Stissa's finger pointed up, past Vael's head, for a split-second all she saw was red as _something _inside of her uncoiled, like a lizard finally rising into the sun after a long, cold night. She felt it from the tips of her toe-claws to the ends of her fins, as the rage subsided and she felt more like herself again, there was something else, something _different _that wasn't there before. She felt like... the best version of herself, and yet like nothing had changed, at the same time.

Vaeltoyra looked down at her hands, she almost recoiled at what she saw, a broiling red flame surrounded them for several seconds before it winked out. It left no smoke behind, no sign of its passage. _Sourcery. _So she really was a Sourcerer, it hadn't been a mistake... She rubbed her hands together slowly, the experience had made them tingle. 

"I have unlocked the power within you- one that only those like you can wield." Zorl-Stissa's head tilted a fraction to the side. "You feel it, don't you? The rarity of this power? Its ability to create new worlds - or destroy them? I blessed the very water beneath your feet. Now you may wield that power for yourself: a first taste of things to come, for this is only the beginning. I have unlocked your potential, at last. Try not to bury it again." The Goddess's lips curled into the hint of a smile. "This is the task I lay before you. It isn't small, but it is yours to carry... or to abandon."

"What do you want from me?" Vael brushed her hands over themselves before returning them to her sides. "Surely the Prince could-"

Zorl-Stissa shushed her with a shake of her head. "Capability is learnt. So too experience. What I need is not the wisdom of experience, but the _fire _of potential. This is what I see within you, above all my many children. Above him. I hope I am not wrong." She seemed unsure, for the faintest fraction of a second. "He has his own destiny. He will rise, and he will fall. You, and you alone, will carry on where he will fail."

Vael pursed her lips, the Goddess continued. "Over time I will ask much of you, my Champion. But for now, I ask little more than what you know your heart must be done: Escape this place. Escape the grasp of those who would harm you. _You _matter - you above all others. Even those you may love."

The lizard breathed out a quiet little sigh. At that moment she felt small and inadequate, but she looked up toward the Goddess. "I ... understand. I will do what you ask of me."

"Good. But you must be wary, and take heed." Zorl-Stissa gestured with a finger. "You know as well as I that there are _other _forces at play in this unfortunate world of ours. Your so-called friend may be aligned to the very powers who would see us destroyed."

Vael frowned at this, surely she didn't mean Ifan? She wondered then, was he like her? Was he a Godwoken too? Was he meeting with Rhalic at this very moment, as she and the Prince had done with Zorl-Stissa? She was drawn back to look where the Goddess began to point, hexagonal stones shifting to clear the view.

She hadn't seen it before, though she now realized the faint sounds she'd just attributed to being in this odd place must have been coming from down there. The Seven, she could see them all, Amadia, Tir-Cindelius, Vrogir, Duna, all of them, even a representation of Zorl-Stissa herself, battling a strange figure that Vael didn't recognize. Each blow struck seemed to heal immediately, every injury lasted but a fraction of a moment. A soldier's nightmare. A battle without end. Vael turned her gaze back to her Goddess, wondering what it was she'd wanted her to take away from that.

"A new era is upon us. Not only does man battle man, but God battles God as well. They who prevail will set the new order. We cannot fall to the bottom." The stones behind her Goddess shifted back, hiding the battle from view, but the sounds still drifted to her over the distance. "I believe in you. I hand-picked you among all my beloved kin, because I trusted that you would succeed, if you chose it. You _will _protect us. I know it."

The Goddess reached out one last time, her hand resting on Vael's forehead, just as she'd done for the Prince. Vael knew she was about to be sent back, away from this place. Zorl-Stissa's eyes met Vael's own one last time. "You must be a soldier again. Serve your people. _Rise _for them."

Vael felt herself falling. The darkness rose around her, the ground swallowed her up- light and sound returned, the singing of birds, the hum of bugs and insects, the rustle of trees. She pushed herself up off of her back, looked over toward the Prince and Ifan. Both of them did just as she did, sat up, looked at her as she looked at them. The Prince and Vael shared a look, then together they looked at Ifan, he stared back at the two of them. "Did-", Vael began.

He nodded his head, slowly pushed himself to his feet, then brushed his hands clean on his trousers. "I did. You two as well?" When they nodded, he breathed a sigh, beginning to head back down the path to where they'd climbed up to this statue, muttering under his breath. "Bloody gods..."

The Prince looked back at Vael, giving her a knowing, proud smile. "I always knew I was meant for something better." He reached out, patting Vael on the shoulder. "Better luck next time. At least I know you'll have my back."

Her face fell as he turned and walked away, leaving Vael staring forlornly at his back. She didn't have the heart to tell him.


	12. Slane

The trio headed back down to the lower ground, then continued on their journey to try to find this cave to the East. Vael was troubled but she didn't know how to bring it up to the others- Zorl-Stissa had seemed to imply that at some point she would have to abandon them, or... at least one of them. That thought put a damper on her wanting to talk to them about it at all, so she focused instead on attempting to forge ahead through the swamp. 

The dip soon curled up again the drier ground, the path ahead weaving through the underbrush and large standing stones. Vael was about to turn and ask where the others think they might need to head when a gust of wind from the gulley ahead carried with it chill air that most certainly was not natural. Vael thought her nose might freeze from the burst of it all by itself and she decided that this might make the best avenue of investigation, at least for the moment.

The path ahead curled down and around and the further down they went, the colder it got. As the path curved around an outcropping of rock and revealed the sight ahead, Vael soon enough understood why. She stood aghast at what lay before her, a massive ice-blue dragon sprawled across the ground, surrounded by ice and steam and strange, glowing statues that Vael had never seen before. She glanced back to the others, Ifan merely seemed interested while the Prince seemed as awed as she was at what she could see before her.

She carefully moved ahead, trying to ignore the icy cold that nipped at her scales that only got worse the closer she approached the dragon before her. By the time she got close enough to have a good and proper look at the dragon, she was freezing, but she forged on all the same. The creature seemed to sense their approach, or maybe just heard them, because as Vael crunched over a patch of ice, it raised its head up and off of the frozen sands beneath it.

Even shackled like this the dragon was magnificent, and Vael felt her jaw drop open at the sight of it. The dragon turned to look at the little group that had approached it, and she could tell there was a real intelligence behind its eyes. Vael made to speak to it, but she soon realized the dragon would be able to give no answer. Around its jaw wound the same chains that bound limbs and body to the statues around it. 

Vael turned to the two behind her. "This isn't right."

Ifan looked to her, then the dragon, then the statues. "I say we leave it be."

The Prince shook his head. "I disagree. No creature such as this should be bound."

Vael looked between the two of them, then to Ifan. "Trust me? At least a little?"

He considered for a little longer than she would have liked, maybe he was still reeling from whatever his God had told him, but eventually he nodded his head. "Do it."

Vael smiled at his trust of her, then hefted her blade. A single, solid strike and the statue that chained the dragon shattered, falling to bits of wood and stone and skull and bone. The dragon stirred and groaned as part of the chains were released but made no move to attack them. Vael shifted around to the other side and repeated the motion with the other statue, shattering it and striking it down.

The release of power as the dragon reared its head and roared knocked Vael flat onto her back, shattering ice and sending frozen sand scattering out behind her. She leaped to her feet, hoping that the dragon wouldn't repay their kindness with violence, but she soon discovered that her caution was unwarranted. The creature stood up, stretched itself, then soon adopted a cowed and subservient posture. Vael couldn't imagine what cruelties had reduced a dragon to... _this. _

Those same intelligent eyes that had met her gaze before returned to stare at her, the dragon licked its chops, flexing muscle and bone that must have been bound for quite a time to leave it looking so uncomfortable. He looked sick and pale, weak and thin like he'd been mistreated for quite some time. This servitude was no recent event in the dragon's life. As Vael stepped closer, the dragon's voice sounded into the air, sonorous and vibrant. "My gratitude for your efforts, friend. Yet, I am no more free now than I was in those chains. Please, help me find true liberty or sing me to the endless slumber."

The dragon appraised her with that deeply-blue eye, Vael's gaze could pick out that at the corners there rested soft, frozen tears and her heart went out to the creature. "But, of course, that must be why you stand before me... Slane called to Lady Death, and here _you _are. A coincidence?"

"I'm afraid so, my friend," Vael spoke through chattering teeth as she hugged herself against the cold. "I am no reaper, merely an escaping Sourcerer from Fort Joy. So are they." She gestured with a shaking hand to Ifan and the Prince, who seemed to be coping with the cold as well as she was.

"Ah. My fate, it seems, is not my own to call." The dragon shook itself, ice falling in great sheets from his hide to shatter across the ground. "My soul is bound to joyless obedience. Purged of my Source by the wickedest of witches, I stand in thrall to her every whim. She has only to command, and my traitorous body complies..."

"Is there anything we can do?" Ifan shot her a 'really' sort of look, but she hissed at him. If she was going to take one step to the dragon's freedom, she'd see the whole thing through. The Prince, at least, seemed to approve.

The dragon seemed taken aback by this. "That you would even ask such a question of a stranger already in your debt! There is much goodness within you, but this task would not be easy. Radeka is a canny one, cat to your mouse."

Vael did her best to stand up and quiet the shiver that had set deep into her bones, hefting her blade as she stared at the dragon. "Our c-current task is no easier than this."

The dragon appraised her before continuing. "She consumed all of my Source with her Purging Wand. So long as she holds it, she has absolute control over me. If you could retrieve it for me... I could be free again."

"A d-dragon ally could be a great and powerful one," she stuttered against the cold. "Where is this Rakeda?"

"A cave, to the South. If you would bring her wand to me, you would have my gratitude. And whatever aid I could then offer to you."

Vael looked to the others and raised a brow. A draconic ally could make short work of whatever defenses the Magisters had erected around the port! This could be the key to unlock the stalemate and get the three of them off this island. Vael gestured for the others to follow her and hurried on, eager to get out of the worst of the damnable cold that surrounded the dragon- she knew it was likely no fault of his own, but she wanted to be out of it all the same.

The temperature increased rapidly as they hurried away from the dragon, the chill that had set in soon giving way to the welcoming warmth of the swamp. Not a thought that Vael imagined she'd ever think. The cave was easy enough to spot, the entrance had been carved into a skull and was decorated with candles, not to mention festooned with so many bones that she wondered how it had gone undiscovered for so long- or maybe it hadn't, and others simply knew to stay away from it.

The inside of the cave proved no more hospitable than the entrance, as soon as they passed through the threshold they were greeted with traps, huge lakes of poison vapors pouring from a contraption in the center. They worked their way around, shoving a crate over the grate, which seemed to stymie the flow enough for them to pass onward. Another puddle was defeated in this way and odd disappearing-reappearing traps avoided until the cave opened properly before them.

The stench of death and disease permeated this place and Vael was eager to be free of it as quickly as possible. The deeper they got, the worse the cave appeared to be, until they passed ancient piles of corpses and bone that huge, twisted flowers of sickly colors grew from. Vael tried her best not to think about what use plants that grew from corpses like this might be put toward. It was certainly a good place for a witch to come calling.

Speaking of, a woman stood at the far end of the cave, surrounded by corpses. Some fresh, some old, some ancient, some without flowers and some with. The witch looked as evil as the rest of them, her clothes made of spikes and all sorts of odd implements. They reminded Vael of the totems outside.

As she approached, hefting her weapon so that it would be ready, the witch surprised her by dropping into a curtsy and offering her hand. Protocol and instinct almost took over for a moment before Vael stopped well away from the woman, who tsk'd. "What a boor."

The woman stood to her full height and stared at Vael, suddenly the stench of death and disease that filled the place grew even stronger like it was coming from and being strengthened by the woman before her. Vael plugged her nose with her free and hand tried to wave away the smell with her tail, but it was so strong she could almost _taste _it. She wanted to gag. "This place reeks," she muttered.

The woman spoke, Vael was expecting an insult, but instead poured forth merely words- words that Vael recognized. A chant of the Black Ring, of all things. The woman seemed to recognize the understanding, because she continued to speak, though this time in plainer language. "Very good, kitten. Now, I imagine you're here for the same reason I am."

Vael growled. She was no one's kitten, especially not a dragon-enslaving witch.

The woman patted the roses at her hip- Vael recognized them from a drawing she'd seen. Blood Roses. That must be what this cave was for, the growing and cultivation of Blood Roses. She'd heard that they could only be grown from corpses and blood but she'd never imagined she'd meet anyone twisted enough to actually do it. "You're too late, though. These roses belong to me."

Vael realized the woman had no idea why they were actually here. She growled out her answer, partly because she could feel the anger within her rising, mostly because she didn't want to draw enough breath to properly talk. "We're here about Slane."

The woman understood near-immediately and she tsk'd again. "Oh, I do hope that little so-and-so hasn't been _talking. _Those chains were in place for a reason..."

Vael hefted her blade and stared the woman straight in her eyes. She could feel the rage within her rising, held back only by the collar around her neck. "I've heard enough. Time to die."

The woman, surprisingly, just laughed. "Ha! I love how earnest you are, I do love that in a woman."

Vael didn't think she'd ever been disgusted so much in her entire life, so thoroughly, right down to the bone. "We're not leaving without that wand."

"Then I suppose you aren't leaving, darling." The witch stepped back, casting a spell before Vael could react to stop her.

Corpses rose from the ground around them, flying carrion-bugs seemed to spring from the walls. Radeka herself retreated to higher ground, leaving the three companions standing back-to-back. Vael turned to Ifan, he nodded and readied his bow. She charged the nearest corpse with a roar, that rage within her fueling her actions. She'd never felt more _alive _and she could only imagine how it'd feel once she'd gotten this collar removed and could really let it course through her like she knew it could...

The Prince's blade struck true as the corpses shambled toward them, a strike cut one down, a blow from his shield snapped the neck of another, throwing it to the ground. Vael's own sword found purchase in first one, then another, driving the corpses back down to the dirt where they belonged. Ifan readied his crossbow, dropping to a knee, took aim at the bug floating closest to Radeka, twisted at the last moment and fired. His ruse seemed to throw off the witch, as Vael heard the satisfying thunk as his bolt struck home. She turned just enough as she fended off another of the corpse bugs to see the witch's hand grasping at her shoulder, whatever spell she'd been trying to cast fading away as she recoiled in pain.

Ifan squinted, another bolt already nocked in his crossbow as he steadied for a second shot. "Greet the reaper for me," he intoned, then let the bolt fly. It struck true, slamming into the witch-woman's throat. She sputtered, faltered, bloodied hand rising to her throat before she keeled over to the side, staff clattering to the ground.

The rest of the corpses and bugs summoned by the woman's hand fell quickly and as soon as she was able to do so Vael hurried to the fallen witch. She was still breathing, barely, when Vael approached. The lizard reached down, making a show of retrieving what could only be the purging wand, a long, arcane metal rod etched with the symbol of Braccus Rex that Vael recognized from books she'd read about him. "Slane gives his regards," she muttered, before pulling free her knife and slicing the woman's throat. She'd half a mind to leave her there to die slow, but didn't want to risk the chance that she'd rise again to pull off some further feat of witchery.

Vael wiped her blade clean of the woman's blood on her robes, for some degree of 'clean' anyway in all this muck, then hurried down to join the others. "Let's get out of here, I'm going to throw up." They agreed, and the three of them retreated as quickly as they could from the cave.

They returned to the frozen beach, hurrying as quickly as they could. Though they were glad to be free of the stinking cave, the frozen beach was no vacation destination either. A glimmer of hope flickered across Slane's features as she approached the dragon, though it was quickly replaced by the practiced scowl of the oft-disappointed. "Have you... brought it? Or am I to remain a slave?" A tiny glimmer of hope returned to him.

Vael held up the wand, letting him see it in full, and she could see his wings unfurl in barely-contained joy. "Yours, for the taking."

The dragon grips the wand in a razor-sharp claw. There seems to be little that he needs to do in order to regain his captured Source, for as soon as his scales touch the rod, the source within flows visibly back into the dragon. His color returns, some of the pallor leaving his features and he truly seems 'larger' to some degree... or maybe he's just standing taller.

He reared back in joy as light from within him flared bright, so bright that Vael and the others had to avert their eyes or shield them with a hand. When the light failed and Vael could look upon him again, the dragon had vanished, replaced by a- rather handsome, truth be told- lizard. Vael was momentarily confused until she realized who and what he must be- a Dragon Knight. She'd never met one in person before. He smiled so widely that Vael thought his face might split, then he bowed, low and deep, before the three of them. Vael almost reflexively did the same, then finally did so in earnest to reply to his own.

"Slane. At your service." Somehow his voice remained as deep, and as loud, as it had when he was a full-sized dragon. Vael supposed that certain things remained the same in both forms.

"Your eyes- they're silver. I've never seen their like." The Prince elbowed her with a nudge and grin and Vael felt herself flush beneath her scales. Her mouth had run away from her mind.

The dragon didn't seem to mind, however. "All like me have such eyes. With them, I see spirits... not a blessing on this haunted island. You are lucky not to see the desperation that lies before me."

Vael did indeed count herself lucky, she wasn't sure she'd be able to cope with seeing the dead wandering to and fro everywhere. "I- we, are happy to be of service. We hope that we can count on something from you in return."

The Dragon Knight nodded, raising a hand to his chin. "What service might I provide for you?"

"There are creatures, on this island. We cannot defeat them on our own, but surely one like yourself would have little trouble with them. They are Shriekers, and they guard the harbor not far from here. Just to the North-East." Vael gestured vaguely with a hand. "If you could destroy them for us, consider your debt repaid."

The Dragon Knight bowed low, one more time, and clapped a hand to his chest. "It will be done. When you venture close to the harbor, look for me. I shall deal with them then." He turned and stepped away, no more than two paces before he leaped into the air, reverting to a dragon in a graceful movement. His wings restored, he soared away, arcing gracefully into the sky. Vael released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Majestic creatures." The Prince looked to her as he stepped up beside her. "We did the right thing."

Ifan seemed convinced, as he nodded his head in turn.

The three of them stood in silence and watched the dragon soar into the distance. 


	13. Preparations

When Slane had well and truly flown out of eyesight, Vael finally stopped straining to see him and turned to the others. "I think that should fulfill their request to find 'weapons' to fight the Magisters, don't you think?" 

When the others agreed, Vaeltorya turned to head up the quickly-warming beach, back the way they'd come. She was eager to get off the island, practically giddy now that the prospect seemed to be genuinely within reach, and her feet carried her lightly all the way back to the sanctuary. The journey back was simple and peaceful, save for the occasional squealing of burning pigs, and they soon enough found themselves back within the safety of the Sanctuary's rock walls.

By the time they returned, however, it was nearing evening, the shadows of the rock towers around them leaving little light to penetrate down into the gloom below, broken only by the occasional cooking fire or candle scattered here and there. They found Gareth quickly enough, he stood near Exeter where the two of them appeared to be planning the coming attack by candlelight. As Vael strode closer, Ifan and the Prince in tow, he looked up at them and grinned. "Welcome, my friend. Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. I know you seek some answers. I'll tell you what I can."

She nodded, then glanced back to the other two before she turned to Gareth once more. "How did you lot end up here?"

"We'd just landed onshore. Minutes later, Dallis sailed in on the Lady Vengeance, screaming like a banshee. We had no hope. Most of us were dead in the blink of an eye. She had horrors at her side. Shriekers, she calls them. They still protect the harbor, firing pure death at anything that catches their eyes."

Vael nodded. "We know about them. And we think we have a way to deal with them." 

Gareth's eyes widened, several other Seekers lingering about stopped what they were doing. "Out with it, then!"

"We rescued a Dragon Knight, Slane. He can kill the Shriekers for us, safely from the air." Vael placed her hands on her hips and grinned.

His eyes went wide. "Truly! You bring me hope, friend! I'll gather the other Seekers and travel to the shore in the morning." He waited until Vael pulled her map free and marked the spot for her. "Just be sure to have Leya remove that collar of yours. It doesn't suit you."

Vael raised her brows and looked to the others, then back to him. "Leya? Who's that?"

"The female Dwarf who's nearby. She knows a trick to get them off." He clasped her arm with a bright grin. "Rest for the night, friend. In the morning, we get off this island."

Vael excused herself, then made a beeline for the dwarven woman. She looked up as Vael approached, smiling brightly. "What can I do for you?"

"These collars, please. For all of us. We need them off." Vael gently tugged her own. "Gareth said you knew how."

"Yes! Of course, of course." Leya stood up, Vael lowered herself to make the process easier, closing her eyes- she didn't know why, exactly, but she didn't want to stare at the Dwarven woman as she worked. 

The collar started to twist, turning and screeching, writhing like a living thing. Vael braced against the pain that she expected to come, but it never did. With a scream of tortured metal, the collar unwrapped itself and fell free, clattering to the dust. Almost immediately Vael felt better, like a part of herself she'd forgotten had returned in full force, like a limb that had fallen asleep waking up. She didn't know if it was Zorl-Stissa's doing or that she had simply never been without her Source before, but she could truly _feel _it now that the collar had been removed.

She stepped aside, rubbing her neck in wonder as Ifan and the Prince each stepped up in turn, letting Leya work her magic. When the Dwarf was finished, she slowly pulled back, looking up at the three of them. "No more choking. No more silence. You'll never be a slave to a Magister again. Make sure you make them pay for what they've done."

Vael took one of the Dwarf's hands and clasped it tightly in her own. "Thank you." She released the woman, who nodded in reply, then turned away to look at the others.

"Finally." She ran her fingers over her scales. "It's so strange, I never thought I had Source before, scarcely believed it even when the Magisters told me. Even when..." She thought back to Zorl-Stissa and what she'd done. "Even when my Goddess told me." It sounded so strange to say it aloud, like it was a silly thing, a frivolous dream a child might have. "And yet, with it removed, I can _feel _it like I never could before."

She looked to the others curiously. "Did you two know, before you arrived?"

Each of them nodded. Ifan spoke up first. "I knew. It's how I got here, actually. I summoned my Wolf in the tavern in Driftwood." He chuckled to himself. "You should have seen the reactions of everyone there."

Vael looked to the Prince, waiting for him to share his own. He didn't make her wait long. "I knew, yes. It's part of how I got in my... spot of trouble that landed me here. How I summoned... them."

Vael nodded, she didn't need to push him further. She headed off, looking for something to eat and somewhere to lay down. One of the Seekers directed her to an unused section of the camp that they could use as a place to rest. Vael found something to eat, one of the Seekers had set up a tiny mess in one of the tents, and told the others where they could meet her to rest for the night once she'd found them.

She sat down and enjoyed her stew. Their little section rested toward where they'd originally come in, near where Bahara kept watch, even now. It was high enough that from where she sat she could see the sea glistening in the fading light of the evening as the setting sun danced on the waves. The Prince joined her, settling down on a stool with his own bowl in his lap, though he didn't speak right away. The two of them sat, eating their dinner, but before long Ifan returned to them, settling down on the ground with his legs crossed, his own bowl rested between his thighs.

The three of them sat there, eating in the silence, alone in their own thoughts but still together. Vael smiled just thinking about it, between spoonfuls of her dinner. She hadn't had companions like this, companions, battle-brothers, close friends like this, since her time serving the Empire. She supposed it wasn't much different, even now, since according to Zorl-Stissa she was serving her people once again. She wasn't so sure about that herself. Her, a divine? She couldn't imagine it, couldn't fathom it. She was a nobody, some... soldier-turned-scholar. The Prince deserved something like that so much more.

Her eyes fell upon him, watching his red scales glinting in the light of the candles and lanterns that dotted the encampment here and there. Even his color was so much more suitable for the job than hers. There were thousands of violet lizards back home, but only one... or two, if the form that Zorl-Stissa had taken was accurate, red lizards in all of the Empire. And he had been raised for the position his whole life, surely he was more deserving.

Or Ifan. She turned her gaze to him next, watching him eat. The last Divine was Human, maybe it should continue with them. He seemed a decent enough sort, once you got past the 'assassin' part. But she knew, deep down, that there was more to him. Something better. Something nobler. He'd jumped at the chance to help the elves in the camp, he followed her without question, he'd healed the wounded here in the camp with little more than know-how and honest work.

She was brought out of her reverie by the realization that the others were staring at her in turn. She wondered if they'd been thinking similar, wondering which one of them would be the Divine, which was more suitable? She coughed to cover the silence, at least a little bit, then turned to Ifan as she'd been thinking about him last. "So, Ifan-" He looked up at her, eating one of the last spoonfuls of his dinner. "What's your opinion the Divine Order? You used to be one of them, what do you think about what they've become?"

"Not much, I'll tell you that." He adjusted himself, using his hand to steady his bowl. "Why, what do you think of them?"

Vael considered for several moments, thinking back to what they'd been when they were founded, what they'd become now, what they were doing. "I think that they've strayed far from the ideals that they were founded with."

He grunted. "Sharp eyes, lass." She wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not, but he seemed done with the subject for now.

She turned to the Prince then, nudging his foot gently with one of her own. "What about you, Prince? What was it like? Living in your palace back home?"

He looked up, seemingly distracted with his thoughts, then turned his gaze to the ground. "More... glorious than you could imagine." He genuinely sounded sad, like he mourned the loss of his lifestyle. "More glorious than I wish to recall here, of all places." He looked up toward her. "Ask me again once we're off this island. I'll tell you tales that will last us a thousand nights." Ifan chuckled at that.

She smirked at him, shaking his head. "Well, that won't do. How about... You mentioned something earlier, a 'secret of your soul'. What did you mean by that?"

He sat up straighter and Vael could have sworn that he'd be blushing if it wasn't for the tint of his scales. "Secret of my soul, I said? What poppycock! Doesn't sound like me at all. Not in the slightest."

Vael couldn't help the laugh that rolled out of her. "Of anyone here, you're the most likely to say something like that!" Ifan chuckled along, having finished his bowl of soup. He unfolded his legs and spread them out before him. "Isn't that the truth."

The Prince looked offended and averted his gaze. "Drop it, please."

Vael sighed and shook her head. "Fine, fine, if you don't want to share." She stared off toward the sea for a while, mulling a thought over in her head, then looked toward the others. "What happened earlier... that actually happened, right? With the... the statue."

The Prince was the first to answer. "Indeed. Zorl-Stissa deemed you, the both of us, worthy of her attention. We actually have something in common." He grinned, just the barest hint of one, when Vael nudged him with her foot again. "I have to wonder, however: can a God be called a God still, if they have to plead with another to assume the powers they seem to have lost?"

She rolled the thought around for a while. "I don't know. I think so. But... I don't know. Did you... partake? Let her bless you?" She knew he did, but she didn't want to let on that she'd been watching him when they'd... embraced.

"I did, of course. Only I'm not foolish enough to let it buy my loyalty." He sat up a little taller still.

She shook her head with a grin, then turned to Ifan. "What about you? What happened between you and Rhalic? Did anything happen?"

He gave a derisive snort. "A God I don't believe in told me things about myself I don't believe. Yeah."

Vael pursed her lips. "I don't think that I believed until... until I saw it. I know the stories, the tales, but... 'the Seven'. I've never been devout, never really prayed. But when they're standing in front of you like that."

He nodded his head. "Harder to maintain skepticism then, alright." The Prince scoffed, but Ifan continued. "Whatever we believe, we still need to _live _in the here and now. Can't let our heads get lost in the clouds."

"Right, you're right of course." Vael leaned back against the tentpole, crossing her arms over her lap as she found her eyes drawn back to the ocean.

Ifan lifted his head toward her, drawing her attention back down to him. "What about you? You've asked us questions. Where do you come from, how'd you end up here?"

Vael pursed her lips as she considered. "Well, I had once been a soldier in the House of War. Glorious conquest for the Ancient Empire. That sort of thing, much like you had done with Lucian." She gestured to Ifan with a claw. "Then I ... just felt like it was time to come home, after a while. My mother always wished for me to be a librarian, like her. 'Knowledge is the lifeblood of a people', she'd say." The Prince nodded along with her, smiling slightly. Likely a phrase he'd heard himself many times over. "I threw myself into the work. Read more books than I'd known had existed. Spent... years pouring over dusty tomes."

"So how'd you end up here?", the Prince finally asked of her.

"I was going to join the Magisters if you can believe it." The two of them scoffed at her, and she frowned. "Not for all of this, of course." She waved a hand at the Seeker camp around them. "There were rumors that they were working on an archaeological dig, in the Blackpits, in Driftwood. I wanted to be there, to see the discoveries made firsthand. I got off the boat from home, a Source hound sniffed me out and before I knew it I was clapped in chains. That's where I met Ifan."

He nodded his head with a grin. "Right after my stunt in the tavern. You looked like a lost little kitten, you did."

Vael was glad her scales hid her blush, her tail-tip flicking beneath her stool. "I look nothing of the sort."

The Prince smirked just enough to show off his teeth. "You know, there is something distinctly catlike about you. Thank you, Ifan. I never would have put it into words."

Vael muttered curses under her breath that would have made a Dwarf's beard-hairs curl. "I'm going to bed!", she announced rather matter-of-factly.

Her two friends chuckled to themselves as she retreated to her tent. She never would have realized how tired she was. As soon as she pulled the blanket over herself, she dropped right off to sleep.


	14. Alexandar

Vaeltorya's dreams left her feeling restless and tired when the morning came. She'd dreamt of drowning, floating in the water when no voice came to rescue her, she'd dreamt yet again of Lohse's eyes, the accusatory stare as she lay slowly back onto the ground. She dreamt of a dark, black pit deep in the ground. She'd stood at the precipice, staring down into the dark, when someone had pushed her from behind. When she'd fallen in, ground deep below rushing up to greet her, she'd woken up, sitting upright in her bed quickly enough that it had woken the others, sleeping nearby.

Their morning had passed quickly, by the time they were ready, having eaten and dressed, the other Seekers were gathering to move onward. They were putting a lot of trust in Vael and her friends to have dealt with the Shrieker menace, but she knew that a Dragon Knight wasn't going to let them down, he would be there when they needed him.

The journey through the swamps passed in heavy silence, many of the others seeming just as nervous as Vael herself was. She couldn't quite judge what Ifan and the Prince were thinking, they kept their thoughts to themselves this morning, but they didn't look quite settled by all of this either. They'd have to see whether or not their work paid off in the end, whether Slane would appear or if he wouldn't hold to his word.

When they arrived at the site, they found themselves standing in the ruins of a Magister camp. There were clear signs of a battle having been fought here, some of the dirt was even still stained with aging blood. Vael pulled one of the seekers aside, gesturing toward the wreckage. "What happened here?"

"This is where the Seekers attempted to hold the Magisters off when we first arrived on the island. It seems they've retreated behind their defenses." The man gestured ahead, down a large stone causeway toward the beach.

Vael nodded, then hurried on ahead to find where Gareth had gone, she imagined he'd be the one she'd need to speak to in order to get this whole thing rolling. She found him standing near the Priestess they'd met before, the two locked in an argument. 

"You'd take on the Magisters directly? Are you so eager to die, Seeker? You need stronger weapons than these." The Priestess seemed to be trying to bar them from moving forward.

Gareth shook his head, Exeter standing at his side. "We'll find a way, Gratiana. If-" He turned his head as Vael and her companions arrived, smiling all the more to see them join him. "If they tell the truth, we need not weapons at all."

Vael stepped forward, as it seemed the others were comfortable letting her continue to be the spokeswoman for the group. "I trust Slane not to let us down. A Dragon Knight does not easily forget his debts."

Gareth nodded, reaching out to take Vael by the shoulder. "And Lucian be praised for it." He looked over his shoulder, down toward the Shriekers. "The Shriekers keep watch. And their gaze isn't the only one we should avoid. The murderer is here. Alexandar." 

Vael's jaw set, and she could see Ifan stiffen where he stood out of the corner of her eyes. "Where is he now?"

"The butcher's in the ruins- beyond the Shriekers. And he's not alone, as well he wouldn't be. The Order keeps its Godwoken leashed."

Vael placed her hands on her hips. "Well we knew that the Magisters wouldn't leave the place unguarded, but Alexandar being here both complicates and simplifies things..." When Gareth looked to her curiously, she continued. "We have business with him." She reached out and clasped her hand on Ifan's shoulder, giving him a little shake.

He looked to Ifan, considering, then turned to Vael. "Are you ready? Do you trust your dragon to do what he promised?"

Vael nodded stiffly. "I am, and I do. It's time to go."

Gareth shook his head with a smile. "A Dragon Knight, of all the things to find on this island... If I didn't know better, I'd think the Gods themselves were your counsel."

Vael shot an awkward look toward the Prince and Ifan before Gareth continued.

He looked toward the causeway, then gestured for them to lead. "Go. Ensure he takes down those Shriekers. We will follow when the path is clear."

They turned from him then, looking toward the causeway, then took their first steps toward the harbor. Passing over the edge of the stairway down, they could see the Shriekers ahead, horrible creatures strung up on crucifixes, looking more monster than man, though it was clear they had, _somehow, _once been a member of the races. The signs were there, but now they hung, twisted and broken into something truly horrible. Vael's face tightened as she looked at them. "They must pay for this. No one has the right to create these... _things _out of anyone else."

"Truly deplorable," The Prince chimed in as he looked at them. Ifan remained silent, his hands tight on his crossbow.

Vael drew her weapon, wondering if such a simple tool would do anything against creatures such as these, beginning to walk down the steps, when she felt it. The air around her shifted, chilled, for a moment she was confused until she remembered what it meant, the _only _thing it could mean. She turned her gaze to the sky and was rewarded by the sight of the dragon soaring in, his roar reverberating the air around them as the temperature dropped in moments.

Vael raised her blade and cheered, something she heard echoed from the Seekers behind her as the dragon swooped low, ice and cold flowing brilliantly from his maw, freezing the Shriekers solid, the beat of his wings knocking and breaking them free from their posts. They shattered upon the ground, the Magisters' weapons knocked out in a single, glorious blow. The dragon swept on and up, arrows and magical bolts from within the harbor following him away but falling far short of him as he flew onward, his debt repaid.

She turned to look at her friends behind her, grinning from fin to fin. "We knew he'd come. Now let's take Alexandar."

When they nodded in confirmation, Vael broke into a run down for the harbor, the others following behind, the Seekers charging down. 

She could hear Gareth calling toward her. "We will claim the ship! You take down the murderer!"

Vael and the others charged ahead, past the shattered Shriekers, through the archway, down into the harbor itself. They came face to face with Alexandar and his guard as Vael skidded to a halt. To her surprise Alexandar held up a hand, motioning for his men to hold off on attacking. Vael frowned, never lowering her weapon from her shoulder... but if he wanted to talk, she'd let him say his piece before they struck him down. She reached out, gently pushing Ifan's crossbow down a fraction. "Let's see what he has to say for himself, first."

The Bishop stared them down, staff held in one hand, the other resting at his side. "The escapees. I feared you'd have made it to the Reaper's Coast by now." He shifted, turning to the side just enough to hold his staff before himself. "Anyway, you're here now. You know, Dallis and Vredeman warned me about you... _Godwoken." _

Vael growled quietly under her breath, her hand gripping the sword on her shoulder all the tighter. She could feel that... strength beginning to rise within herself, the power her Goddess had unlocked.

"I'm afraid your journey ends here, however. You would only bring ruin to Rivellon. If anyone is going to become the next Divine, it will be me."

Vael shouted back toward him, her voice strained as she tried to keep herself calm enough to speak. She'd felt her anger before, but never like this... it felt like a beast just waiting to be unleashed upon those before her. "I was shipped here and collared like an _animal. _You've murdered your own, turned living beings into those monsters!" She pointed back up the way, toward where the Shriekers lay in pieces. "You and your Order need to be stopped before this can continue."

Alexandar barely looked phased by her words. "I have no illusions that history will look kindly upon me. My only goal is to guarantee that someone should survive to write such histories. I am one of you, after all. Your collar was no tighter than my own."

She barked a laugh to him. "Choosing to be collared is far different than being torn from your home, from your life, and forced here under these conditions. There are _children _in that camp. You cannot make an excuse for that."

That seemed to reach him, even if only a little. "A fair point. I will never write 'liberty' or 'justice' on my shield. I fight only for survival." He tapped his staff into the ground hard enough for it to spark. "But _this _I will defend with my life. And your life. And the life of anyone who stands in the way of the continuance of our realm." He shook his head. "Please. Don't make this harder than it has to be. It's not your fault, but still, you stand in the way of peace. This must be the end of your journey. For the salvation of all Rivellon."

Vael shook her head as she stared at him. The power within her would no longer be contained. Even now she could feel it coursing through her, her hands tightening on her sword's hilt so much that the leather squeaked in protest. "I've heard enough. Some prices are too high to pay." She looked to her side. "Ifan."

"Gladly." The Lone Wolf raised his bow and fired.

Alexandar's staff raised more quickly than she would have expected, Ifan's bolt striking a magical shield to skitter off to one side. "You stand no chance, but I admire your resilience. _But you will need a better shot than that._" He motioned for his guards. "Take them!"

The Prince charged, barreling into Alexandar's guards like a wrecking ball, sending several them scattering to avoid him. Shield and weapon moving in unison he looked almost like a dancer among the fray. Striking blows and deflecting them as easily as if he was practicing back home. Ifan immediately moved for higher ground, firing bolts at he went. Sometimes Vael could hear the scream of one striking home, other times he'd miss, but he hit more often than not. 

Vael charged Alexandar himself, intending to open him up for Ifan to take his shot, but she was deflected to one side by another of the Order's creatures, something she'd seen before when Dallis and Alexandar were accusing Atusa what felt like years ago even though it had only been a few days. Lanky things seemingly made of blades, the creature plunged dagger-like hands toward her, forcing Vael to guard and block, attempt to strike through the thing's defenses.

They traded blows while Alexandar fired bolts from his staff and blessed the combatants on his side. Vael knew they couldn't allow him to continue, but she couldn't get to him to force him to stop with this creature in her way. Momentarily distracted, she screamed in pain as one of the creature's glows found its mark, slicing into her scales just under her armor, sending her reeling away from the thing.

The strength that Zorl-Stissa had unlocked within her raged up within until she could no longer contain it, her scream of pain turned into a roar of anger as her hands burst aflame. The weather seemed sympathetic as the sky above crackled and boomed as the storm that had been building all this morning crashed over them. The fire within Vaeltorya crawled up her weapon, her next swing shattered one of the Geist's hands, the flame leaping from her weapon to the creature, setting it aflame, sending it screaming.

"What Sourcery is this!? Stop! You will call the Voidwoken!" Alexandar's voice carried a tone of panic as he stared at Vael. "Cease this at once!"

Another of his guards fell screaming with a bolt lodged within them as Vael turned toward him. Her vision tinged red, she barely saw the Prince staring at her in awe as she carried herself forward. She felt as if she was being borne onward on wings of flame as she rushed him, moving more quickly than she could have done on her own. Her blade met his staff, a burst of fire deflected by his magical barrier as they struggled, locked together. "You will pay for this, Alexandar!", she roared.

She brought her blade down on him, again and again, each blow bringing with it another burst of flame that dissipated upon his magical shields, but she could see him straining more and more under every impact. "Stop! You know not what you do!", he cried until he fell back. 

Vael had them then, she knew he was hers, but the ground underneath her shifted. The sky opened up in force, lightning slamming to the ground behind them as the rumble became an earthquake and _something _burst up through the ground, carrying Vael away on rubble until she slammed into the ground some distance away. Alexandar scrambled to his feet and away from the thing as bits of dirt and stone fell from the sky as the creature roared. That same, deep voice they'd heard before. _'You... you will die... all of you!'_

"Do you see now!? Your foul Sourcery will be the death of us all!" Alexandar cried from beyond the worm, raising his staff to strike a blow at the creature.

"Shut up and fight! It's here to kill us both!" Vael charged the thing, her blade slamming against its hide. She found little purchase with each blow, the flames seeming to hardly even inconvenience it, it was so large. The Prince rushed forward, his assailants dead, to join Vaeltorya in assaulting the massive voidwoken before it could kill all of them.

The three of them began to work on the creature in tandem, Alexandar striking it with his magic and staff, Vael her blade, the Prince sword and shield. In another life she almost imagined she could admire him, the son of the Divine, destined to take his father's place after Lucian's death... but not now. Not after what he'd done. She wondered where Ifan was, what he was doing, and she finally spotted him.

He was letting the three of them take down the creature, waiting for his opportune moment... Vael would give him one. She backed off, letting the Prince close in. The two of them dodged the worm's attack, then she moved into action. "Prince!" She called to him, rushing toward him- he knew exactly what to do.

The Prince braced himself, holding his shield out flat. Vaeltorya ran toward him, pumping her legs as quickly as her claws would carry her, then leaped into the air. Her claws found his shield, she coiled herself, gripping tightly as she heard him roar with the effort of it, launching her into the air as she jumped off of his shield. 

For a moment she hung there in the stormy sky, nearly as high as the worm itself, then she took her blade in both hands, roaring in rage as she plunged it deep into the worm. The thing screamed as her blade finally found decent purchase, burying itself deep, her weight and momentum beginning to carry her downward along its hide, splattering her with gore and disgusting fluids. The very interior of the thing seemed to be cursed, the blood sizzled upon her armor and scales as it landed on her in heavy globs.

Vaeltorya rode the creature to the ground until it slammed down into the dirt, nearly crushing Alexandar beneath itself. She wrenched her blade free, still sheathed in fire, turning to face him-

Ifan took his moment to strike. As Alexandar stood, stunned, staring down the creature, Vael heard the _thunk _of the bolt striking home. Alexandar gasped, his hand rising to clutch at his chest, the head of the bolt protruding just underneath his robes, blood already beginning to stain the fabric. There was another _thunk_, and he stumbled forward, gasping for air. His grip on his staff faltered, it fell to the wayside as his legs began to give out underneath him. A third _thunk _and the bolt protruded just below his neck. Alexandar managed to wheeze a soft 'But... I...' before his body gave out under him and he fell, his blood pooling on the ground beneath him.

Vael fell to her knees and gasped for air as she felt her rage subsiding, her hands cooled, the flames retreating. She dropped her weapon to the side as she heaved, trying to draw in a breath that felt like it would never come. The storm above them broke, rain and wind fading away to leave only puddles in its wake.

She looked up to see Ifan standing over Alexandar, staring down at him. "Finally. My contract complete."

She wanted to smile at him, but she just couldn't quite seem to draw breath.

A hand gently patted her on the back as she wheezed, and she looked up to see the Prince standing at her side. "I never thought I'd see one, myself... Have you ever done that before?"

She slowly shook her head. "No," she managed to gasp.

He considered this for a few moments. "Find me later. I will explain."

Vael finally managed to push herself up onto her feet, her breath coming easier, and she lifted her sword to act like something of a walking stick, helping her to stay steady. She heard the familiar sound of a boat crunching onto the shore and she looked over, to find a very curious sight before her. An elf, wearing a golden mask and robes of the purest white, jumped out of the boat and walked up the stairs, stepping over bodies and rubble as she approached the three.

She moved with the type of grace you'd expect from an elf, but something about her just seemed... off. Vael couldn't quite place her claw on what it was, though. Ifan and the Prince moved to stand at Vael's side as the woman approached, grinning beneath her mask, as she gestured with a flourish to the bodies around them. "Well, well, well. Quite the mess you've made here." She bowed exaggeratedly toward the trio. "I'm Malady, and you're..."

The strange woman rushed forward and in her weakened state Vael could do little to prevent what was happening. The two at her side, just as confused as she was, didn't react either. Malady stepped forward, grabbed Vael behind the neck with a very, alarmingly strong grip, and tugged her closer. Despite her protesting sounds, Malady buried her nose against Vael's scales, sniffed twice, then pierced one of the lizard's frills with a sharp fang. She released Vael and stepped back licking her lips, then broke into a grin from ear to ear despite the lizard's protests. "_Godwoken."_

Vael flushed, rubbing at her frill, glad that her scales could hide the blush on her cheeks. "What the in the hells was that all about? Who're you?"

The woman flourished again. "I'm Malady, as I said. I'm here to help you get off this island. And _you're _what helps some of us get out of bed each morning. What do you make of that?" She placed one hand on her hip as she waited for an answer.

"I've heard more strange things than I care to admit, lately. What I want are some answers." Vael adjusted her grip on her weapon so that her sword tip rested on the armored covering of her foot.

"Well, first things first." Malady peered at the three of them closely, a knowing squint in her eye. "Tell me: which of those little gods did you meet, and what did they teach you?"

Vael glanced to the others and frowned slightly. "Zorl-Stissa." The Prince chimed in the same, and Ifan shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Rhalic," he finally admitted after some hesitation.

"From what I can tell... she taught us how to grant blessings." Vael still wasn't entirely sure, herself, she hadn't tried to do it yet.

Malady's eyes went wide, then she covered her momentary disbelief with a cough. "Go on then. Show me what she taught you."

"Why do you seem so surprised?" Vael squinted at the woman in turn.

"I don't. Now go on."

Vael pursed her lips, attempted to bring forth the other power that Zorl-Stissa had given her... and then nothing. She frowned slightly. "I ... think I might have used up my Source..." She glanced toward the Prince, who gave her a single nod. Apparently doing... whatever it is she'd done had drained her somewhat.

"Ah. Like that." Malady gave a knowing nod in return. "Right, hold on then." She took Vael by the shoulders, closing her eyes, then gestured for Vael to do the same. Somewhat confused, Vael mirrored her motions, and within moments she felt a warm, soothing sensation running down her arms and into her body.

A _space _within her filled, even if only slightly, and Vael's jaw fell open just a fraction. "How did you-"

Malady shushed her, then motioned for her to try again.

Vael grumbled for a moment, closed her eyes, then breathed out a sigh as she held her hand out toward Malady. The power within her lept to her fingertips and golden light jumped from herself to the elven woman before her.

Malady drew back slightly, a smile just barely tugging at her lips. "Hey! That stings."

Vael stuttered for a moment. "Did I do it wrong? I've never-"

Malady shook her head once, then held out her hands, where the skin sizzled slightly beneath their newfound aura. As the spell faded, the skin healed over once more, and she seemed to relax all at once. "You really _are _Godwoken."

Vael pulled herself up slightly, though stopped before she reminded herself too much of the Prince. "You told me, then didn't believe me?"

The woman dismissed her words with a hand. "I'm ... happy. How unbecoming." She turned toward the ship. "Come then. We set sail. Your destiny awaits, et cetera."

"Destiny? What do you mean exactly?" The Prince looked like he was about to answer, but stopped when Vael shot him a glance. She wanted to hear what this woman had to say for herself.

"You'll have to ask the Meistr about that. She's dying to meet you." Malady raised a hand and beckoned them toward the boat. "After you, darlings."

"Wait, wait, wait. Who's this 'Meistr'?"

Malady shook her head. "Boat first, questions later. By the way, I took the liberty of picking up a few others from the prison on my way here. They're waiting for you on the boat." She lifted a hand, counting heads in an exaggerated manner. "But we're missing one. What happened, did somebody die?"

Vaeltorya froze and her face fell, Ifan reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder.

Malady went rigid as she realized, then placed a hand on her hip. "Foot, meet mouth. Anyway! I will wait for you... over there." She pointed with both hands toward the boat, then strode away as nonchalantly as ever.

She breathed out a soft, quiet sigh as she forced herself to relax, then looked to the others. "See if there's anything you can take off of them. Gold, maybe. Who knows what we're going to need when we end up wherever she's going to take us. And make sure he's actually dead." She gestured with a hand toward Alexandar. "No half measures."

Ifan nodded and pulled a knife from his boot, then walked toward the fallen Bishop.


	15. Fortitude

When they finished what needed to be done in the harbor, the group finally returned to Malady. "We're ready."

She nodded and headed off toward the boat. "Let's go."

Vael and the others got themselves situated as Malady herself pushed the boat with both hands, pressing it back into the water. She chuckled to herself as she hopped in after them, settling near the prow. "_Godwoken. _Wait 'til she finds out."

Vael turned herself away from the darker thoughts that Malady had given her before, looking out over the twinkling water, shimmering in the bright sunlight, the salt spray misting her face and her scales. Freedom. Finally... She couldn't help but feel for some of the others, still stuck there on Joy, but she was free. She could return to her life, move on... She paused in her thoughts. Could she? Knowing what she did now, what she could do, what she was, apparently, _meant for_. Could she ever return to a normal life after this? She didn't know.

She looked back over her shoulder, toward the Fort. They'd come as Sourcerers, all of them, but they three, and maybe a few others... They were leaving as something else. _Godwoken. _She still didn't know what it truly meant, what would become of her should she continue down this path. If Zorl-Stissa was to be believed, the fate of the world rested on their shoulders. She looked to the other two, especially the Prince. One of their shoulders, at least... She wondered if she'd ever find the right time to tell him. _Should _she tell him? Would she want to know?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the boat pressed up against the side of the ship, a rather large, well-equipped ship judging by the size of it and the weapons she could see protruding out over the side of the deck. And yet... the salty sea breeze brought another scent with it. The scent of death and blood. She glanced to the Prince and Ifan one last time before a ladder over the side landed in the boat and Malady clambered up, Vael and the others following right behind. 

As the smell had foreshadowed, the deck was covered in corpses- to Vael's dismay, some of them were Seekers, even a few that Ifan had helped to heal the day before. She frowned as she looked out over them, then toward Ifan and the Prince. "We made it out at last. It's a shame about all the Seekers, but at least the Order knows now... We and those like us _won't _just be held like dogs."

The Prince nodded. "Don't stand between a prince and his principles. The Magisters learned that the hard way."

Ifan nodded in turn. "I've no sympathy for those who die in the line of duty. Especially as odious a duty as those dead Magisters held." He gestured with a hand before them. "Onward, now; the sooner Fort Joy disappears from the horizon, the better. Perhaps the Seekers need help manning the ship."

She nodded, looking up toward where Malady went. "I have some questions for her. You two go get settled in? I'll come find you later. I can't imagine we'll be here for any less than a few days."

Ifan and the Prince nodded, heading off deeper into the ship. Vael wanted to have a little look around and be alone with her thoughts for a while, so she didn't mind the loss of the company. She decided to head toward the front of the vessel- she'd seen something interesting as she came in and wanted to investigate a little more. As she walked, one of her claws bumped into something near one of the bodies- she'd been trying to avoid them, but her foot had swung just a little bit too wide. 

Vael glanced down, looking to see what she'd bumped into, and lifted a dead Magister's coat to reveal a diary that looked like it might have been dropped in the sea at some point, as it was slightly soggy. She hummed to herself as she considered it, then decided to just carry it. She could throw it somewhere later if she needed to, she wasn't in any particular hurry at the moment and didn't want to leave it for someone else to trip over.

She tucked the diary into a slit in her coat, just so it wouldn't fall out, and continued forward along the ship to see what the thing at the front was. She'd seen bowsprits and figureheads at the fore of ships before, but this was... different. It was so massively large that it almost looked... out of place. The only saving grace about it was that it was carved into a dragon, and someone had taken the time and effort to do an actually good carving besides. 

Vael ventured up toward it, having to waft a hand near her nose to try to clear some of the burnt flesh smell rising from a smoking corpse near the figurehead. An elven woman stood nearby, seemingly saying prayer rites without getting any closer. "What happened?"

The woman looked toward her. "Don't go any further, Godwoken. We need you alive."

Vael pursed her lips. Seemed news traveled quickly... "Is that," she inclined her head toward the corpse, "a battle casualty or...?"

The woman shook her head. "The ship won't move, we've been searching it and he touched the figurehead... Another Seeker is dead, so you might live long enough to face your destiny. I hope Malady is right about you."

Vael's face fell, but she didn't want to argue with the woman. She didn't _ask _anyone to go touching things... The woman looked toward the smoldering corpse, something cradled within it that Vael noticed since the woman seemed to be staring at it.

"That was Brendyn." The woman's voice sounded like it was about to crack. "When the ship wouldn't answer my call, he touched the figurehead... and it attacked him, without warning. He burned like he was made of parchment."

Vael frowned slightly. "You... called to it? What do you mean?"

"The ship is made of livewood." The woman's voice finally cracked. "One of our ancestor trees was torn apart to make this vessel..."

"I'm... sorry. I truly am." Vael reached forward and gently held the woman's shoulder for a few moments before she pulled back.

The woman's eyes flicked to the body once again, her head held low. "Thank you... we were held captive together, on this ship. He kept my spirits up... now he's dead."

"I'm very sorry for your loss." Vael looked to the figurehead again, deciding that this was about as close as she wanted to get to it for now, before she decided to head back along the ship, toward where she'd spotted Gareth and Malady talking about something.

As Vael approached the two of them, she could hear them arguing amongst themselves about something, though she couldn't tell what until she got closer. They were standing around the wheel, Malady actually behind it, Gareth just nearby. He looked no much more worse for the wear than he had when she'd seen him on the ground before the attack, at least physically, but judging from his mannerisms he seemed to be taking the losses hard.

"Spare me, Gareth. We got what we came for. This is what success looks like." Malady placed a hand on the wheel, leaning on it, though it didn't react- like it was stuck in place.

"I won't see them tossed overboard. Not here. We'll hold a proper service." Vael supposed they'd been arguing about what to do with the dead. 

"What's-his-face and so-and-so would want us to get this ship sailing before all else. They _died _for those Godwoken, after all." Malady dismissed him with a flippant wave of the hand.

"You know their names, Malady. Can't you pay them even that much respect?" He inhaled sharply, looking like he was about to say something particularly biting, then noticed Vael. "Our guest is here. Welcome, Godwoken. Glad to see you safely aboard."

Malady leaned on the wheel a little more, looking down at Vael. "Very glad indeed." Vael couldn't say she liked the look in the woman's eyes. It was almost predatory.

Vael looked around the deck, then back up toward Gareth. "I'm sorry to see so many fallen."

"Too many." He agreed, with another sigh.

"One too few, actually. Alexandar. He's alive." Malady seemed almost amused by this.

Vael blinked several times. "Wait, what? Ifan put three bolts in him. I _watched him die. _Ifan went back and made sure. What happened?"

"Apparently you didn't hit hard enough." Malady seemed far too amused by the situation for Vael's liking, she looked like she was about to break into a laugh.

Vael growled and shook her head when Gareth spoke up. "He's in the hold below decks. Unconscious, but alive. One of the Seekers brought him aboard a few minutes ago, we were going to collect his body for burial but found him still breathing."

The lizard put her hands on her hips and stood up a little straighter. "What are you going to do with him now then?"

"Question him." Gareth slammed his fist into his palm. "Someone has been hunting your kind, hunting Godwoken, and Alexandar fancies himself the only Godwoken worth of ascending. Our job, as Seekers, is to find those like you and bring them where you can be properly trained. As far as we know, thanks to whoever is hunting you, you six may even be the last still alive. If Alexandar is guilty, he'll face justice."

Vael held up a hand. "Wait, six?"

Malady nodded as she leaned on the wheel. "I retrieved three more from the Prison before I picked you lot up on shore. They're waiting below."

She pursed her lips, so there really were others? She hadn't met anyone else... "I guess we should try to get going then before the Order realizes we, and him," she considered Alexandar, "are still alive."

"Yes, we certainly had better, but there's a problem." He put his hand on the hilt of his sword as she spoke. "The ship won't move."

"She's mute; we need to free her tongue." Malady looked toward the figure at the bow of the ship.

"I've never known a ship to speak before. Is this because of it being made of an ancestor tree?" Vael glanced back toward the figurehead as well.

"Barbarous magic, to shackle a spirit like this," Gareth spat.

"Expedient magic, actually. You're correct, the ship is made of livewood. The spirit of an ancestor tree resides within it. It seems Dallis has found a way to bind that spirit to her, which means only she can control it. Unless we find a way to break the bond." Malady twirled a bit of her outfit around her finger as she stared at Vael.

"Do we have any leads, yet?" Vael held up her hands, at a loss. She'd never seen an ancestor tree before, much less attempted to bind or control one.

"The Seekers-" Gareth's head fell. "The survivors of us, have been combing the ship from bow to rudder. It hasn't been easy; this place is laced with dark magic."

Malady shook her head. "These Seekers have such a limited skill set."

"We lost a man in the search, Malady," he shot back toward her. "You might not appreciate that, but I do." He looked toward Vael. "And I hope you do too."

Vael nodded, about to mention that she'd seen, but Malady interjected again.

"I'm sure the Godwoken will be able to get the ship moving. Their kind like to feel useful, don't they?" She smirked down at Vael.

Vael put on as sweet a smile as she could, hands on her hips as she looked up to the elven woman. "I'm still waiting to find out what you do other than stand around looking smug."

Malady turned her head away, dropping the bit of garment she'd been twirling around her finger. "Hopefully you'll never have to find out."

Vael looked to Gareth. "I'll see what I can do. I'll gather the others and have a look around."

"Thank you, Godwoken." He bowed his head toward her, then headed off to continue the search himself.

Vael decided the best place to start looking would be to go down below and see what might be found there, maybe a clue or a hint might come up in their searching. Not that she imagined they would have intentionally left clues behind, but they couldn't be perfect, could they? She started looking on the middle deck where she bumped into Ifan, near the back. Standing nearby were two of those people they'd seen in the prison what felt like ages ago, motionless and quiet. She got Ifan's attention, then pointed at the two figures. "What do you make of those?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. I tried talking to them but I think they're waiting on someone who isn't us." He looked toward her. "How are you holding up?"

"I'll be alright." Vael quickly filled him in on what they were looking for, some way to get the ship moving again. "Any ideas?"

He shook his head, then looked toward her. "Two heads are better than one, though. Should we look together?"

Vael gave him a smile. "I'd say that's a great idea." She motioned for him to come along, then headed toward the bow of the ship. They passed some people that Vael hadn't seen before, she looked back to Ifan.

"The Dwarf is Beast and the undead is named Fane. They were on the Merryweather with us while you were below. Kept to themselves mostly." He shrugged her shoulders.

Vael nodded and continued onward. She wondered what their time on Joy had been like, while the three of them had been galivanting around half the island. Speaking of the third... "Have you seen the Prince?"

"He went upstairs right as you came around the corner, you just missed him."

"Oh, good." Vael went back up, then, intending to get the three of them together. If they were going to properly search, it'd be better to do it all at once and get three sets of eyes on the same problem, rather than doing it piecemeal, alone.

They found the Prince standing alone near the stern, looking out over the waves. He turned toward them as they approached. "I overheard your conversation with the others. No luck so far?"

Vael shook her head. "Nothing yet. Ifan and I were going to search together, figured you should come along."

The Prince smiled and rested his hand on his chest. "I'm flattered. Of course I will lend my expertise to the search."

Vael shook her head and couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "Absolutely."

The Prince pointed with a claw toward the diary that Vael had stuck in her armor. "What's that, then?"

Vael looked down and raised her brow. Honestly, she'd forgotten, but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to look through it now that they knew they were searching for something, rather than just sailing away. "A diary I found, one of the Magisters had it, I think. It looks like someone tried to throw it in the sea at some point, or a wave splashed over it."

She cracked the cover open, under the protest of the leather binding, to look within. "Hmm... It's a journal like I thought. A little too small to be a proper book." She leafed through a few pages, scanning the words. "Dallis was certainly here, apparently this Magister was quite smitten by her. Made an entry all about the fact that 'the Hammer' _possibly _smiled at them." Vael shook her head. "Oh, this is interesting. It says that she spoke to the door to her stateroom..."

Vael's brow knit together as the others leaned in to read with her, now that it seemed like the book might actually turn up something important. "It says that she spoke of the principle of fortitude, part of the Order's ethos, and the door was 'inspired' enough to open for her." She raised a brow toward the others. "How does one inspire a door?"

"It sounds like a password, to me." The Prince nodded twice.

"True enough. Well then." Vael snapped the book closed with a smile. "I suppose we should go try the door."


	16. The Lady Vengeance

The three of them headed below once more, looking for the door that the diary had mentioned. Vael hadn't seen it on the middle deck but hadn't gone below yet, so she assumed it must be down there. Made at least some sense, the lowest deck was the most stable, generally, so having the fancy stateroom down there would give the most comfortable ride. Down a set of stairs, a hatch, and another set of stairs they went before they arrived at the door; Samadel and Han already examining it.

"Hey there, little lionheart," Vael smirked as she used the nickname the other woman had given him. "What's this door?"

"No idea. Pretty nice boat though, eh? We got an upgrade." He looked to the door. "We figure how to get it going is behind here, but we can't get it to let us into Dallis' room."

"Let me have a look at it." Han nodded, standing to the side to allow Vael to approach the door.

Vael strode up to it, her hand on her chin, the Prince at her side. "You know, I think I know what this is."

"Yes, a disputostium. Interesting things, for when the lock to your door needs to be a word rather than a physical object." The Prince leaned closer to the door to look curiously over it. "It seems... inert."

Vael hummed to herself, then reached forward and pressed her palm against the door. The door creaked and groaned, shifting and contorting. The face appeared tortured, tormented like something was greatly paining it. Vael pulled her hand back quickly. "What-"

As quickly as it had appeared, the face vanished. She frowned and looked to the others, considering. "They don't usually look like that. It seemed hurt."

"What hasn't been harmed on this ship?," Ifan grunted. "Magisters owned it."

The Prince smiled toward the two of them. "You didn't notice, did you?"

Vael shook her head. "Notice what?"

"There was an indentation in its forehead. Not carved, too sharp. Like something had been pressed into place there and then removed. I think this door has a lock _and _a password." He held his hand near his chin as he looked to the door. "Someone really didn't want us getting in here."

"Well if Dallis took the key with her, we're lost." Vael breathed a sigh.

Ifan reached forward, patting her on the shoulder. "I have a feeling it'll still be on the ship. Come on, let's look around."

Vael pursed her lips, then nodded to follow him. "Didn't even have a chance to speak the password. They have to ask you what it is, part of the spell," she grumbled to herself as she began to look through the lower deck. As they passed the stairwell down toward the hold of the ship, they passed a large, ornate picture of Alexandar on the wall. "Rather full of himself, isn't he?"

Ifan looked toward it, then toward the front of the hold. "Has to be if he thinks himself worthy of becoming the Divine."

Vael snorted. "He did seem rather full of himself back on the shore." Further down, they passed a large, oddly-glowing mirror the likes of which Vael hadn't seen before. It gave her the willies, so she steered clear of it, but at least the light it gave off illuminated the hold nicely.

Continuing forward they arrived at a large cage- the elf on the deck near the figurehead had mentioned she'd been held on the ship, so she'd expected to see a cage or cages- the hold had been full of them, so she wasn't surprised to see a larger one. And the occupants, or at least one of them, proved to be rather interesting. Alexandar lay on his back on a bed in the cage, unconscious as they'd said. Vael looked toward Ifan with a little grin. "Didn't I tell you to make sure?"

The man grumbled to himself. "I did. His heart was no longer beating."

She shrugged and smirked. "Well, to be fair, we _did _drown and come back somehow... maybe someone's looking out for him too. After all, Lucian the Divine was his father." Vael stepped closer to the cage, flagging down a Seeker who was currently berating another Magister held within. "Hello there."

The Seeker flexed her arms stiffly, Vael could hear the joints pop as she got closer. "I owe you, Godwoken. Without your help, I'd likely still be a prisoner around here, not guarding Alexandar-the-Bloody-Divine himself."

"Yeah?" Vael smiled at the thought. "You alright? You seem... you know, stiff. Were you hurt in the battle?"

"I wish! No, the Magisters had me chained to the bulkhead - arms held above my head, feet barely able to touch the deck... now me joints are payin' the price."

Vael winced at the thought. "That's torture! Though I'm unfortunately coming to expect no less from the Magisters..." She frowned and looked within. "We need to get in here. See if we can't learn anything of use from this one," she gestured to the Magister who glared at them, "Or him." She pointed to Alexandar.

"Good luck getting anything out of either of 'em... Our special guest is out cold, and the other one," She hooked a thumb toward the pacing woman, "ain't in much of a talking mood."

"Well, we have to try. Open 'er up."

"Alright then." The woman walked to the door and popped it open. "I'll keep an eye on the Red until the cage is locked again. In you go."

Vael stepped through, Ifan and the Prince on her heels, then closed the door behind them, just in case. Inside, the pacing Magister moved to Alexandar's side, pressing a damp cloth to his brow as he lay there. After some time she realized that Vael was staring at her and she straightened her back, setting her expression into a defiant scowl.

"Magister Ranley, Caulker's Mate of the Divine Eminence vessel, Lady Vengeance. That's all the information I'm giving to any of you lot, so stow your questions, lizard." The woman crossed her arms, then, cloth still held between them.

Vael smirked slightly, then turned to look at Alexandar. "Must be a step up from a Caulker's Mate to be playing nursemaid to Alexander himself, eh?"

The woman shifted her stance. "Ranley. Caulker's Mate. Lady Vengeance."

Vael rolled her eyes with a grin. If the woman didn't want to play ball, she wasn't going to force her to. She turned away, to Alexandar himself, instead.

As soon as she did, the woman stiffened up and barked toward her. "Get away from him, Sourcerer! That's _the Divine._"

"Oh, so you want to talk now." Vael raised a brow toward the woman. "And no, he isn't. Not yet, anyway. He's just another Sourcerer, like us." Vael stepped closer to Alexandar, a quiet hum under her breath. "Besides, you're alone, unarmed, with a shipful of Seekers who'd happily throw you overboard, and _us _right here. You're really in no position to be telling me what to do in the slightest."

The woman stepped back. "Alright, fine. Just... don't hurt him. I'll be watching!"

Vael shook her head and leaned over Alexandar curiously. He really did look like he was at peace at the moment. His clothes were still stained with the blood from his prior injuries, but a quick examination showed that his body was as fine as ever... save for his unconscious state, anyway. She looked toward Ifan with a gesture toward his chest. "Not a scratch."

His blade appeared in his hand so quickly that Vael hadn't seen him draw it. "I could fix that for him."

She giggled and held out a hand toward Ifan. "No, no. Not yet anyway. You already killed him once, remember?" She turned back to Alexandar, looking at his hands. Someone had wiped them clean, probably the Magister woman, and had laid them neatly across his stomach. They rose and fell in shallow, jagged breaths. Whatever had restored him to life hadn't seemed to do a particularly good job of it, it seemed like he was struggling to breathe.

She turned her attention to his face next. He looked like he'd been properly beaten up, Vael wondered if that had happened during the battle, or if they'd attacked him or dropped him bringing him aboard. His jaw was swollen, it looked like someone had given him two black eyes, and his face had been cut, from his right ear to his chin. Vael looked back to the jailor Seeker, gesturing to the injuries. "Who did this?"

The woman gave her a smug sort of look. "I 'unno."

Deciding she wasn't going to get anything helpful out of her, she turned back. As she was about to stand up and leave, her hand on Alexandar's chest pushed aside his garments to reveal something she hadn't noticed. The fold of his neck had hidden a thin rope, at the end of it rested a small, six-sided gem. She tilted her head to the side and carefully lifted the thing up and from around his neck. "Hey, Prince... Does this look like the indent you saw?"

"It does indeed! How curious that Alexandar would have it and not Dallis."

"I suppose they wanted to split up the pieces in case Dallis was captured, it just so happens that we got ahold of him instead." She motioned for them to follow. "Let's see if we can't get that door open now."

They headed back up toward the odd door. As they approached, Vael held out the gem in her claws toward it. The face appeared once more, dipped it's forehead toward her, then ... waited. She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the gem into the inset. The door shuddered, a blissful expression coming over it to replace the anguish of before. It seemed to _breathe_, then the eyes opened and it peered at her sternly. "I am summoned. Speak the password."

Vael glanced toward the other two, then stated in an even tone. "Fortitude."

"Yes, and yes again. The word is spoken. Welcome to the stateroom." The door swung aside, then went silent.

Vael grinned quite wide and stepped through. "Very nice."

She stepped inside, looking around in awe at the place. Every inch of it was covered in opulence, there were golden-framed pictures mounted to the walls, huge floor-to-ceiling windows that faced out into the golden sun setting over the sea. Desks, tables, a massive four-poster bed, the stateroom even had its own tub. Shelves lined the walls with books of every description, huge racks for potions and ingredients. In the back of the room sat a massive three-panel painting depicting a battle- Vael would have to study it later to see what it depicted when she had more time.

Then her gaze fell upon something she wouldn't have expected in the slightest. A man sitting in a chair next to one of the tables. He looked up toward her and raised a finger. "Just... one more moment, please."

Vael raised a brow and crossed her arms, glancing toward the other two as she waited to see what he was doing.

He clicked together two halves of some kind of gauntlet sitting in his lap, then turned his full attention to the three of them. "And... there. Rescued at last, am I? To whom do I owe my thanks?"

Vael smirked just a little bit. "My name is Vaeltorya. This is Ifan ben-Mezd, and this is the Red Prince." She gestured to each of them in turn, Ifan tipped his non-existent hat, the Prince inclined his head regally. "We've taken this ship from the Magisters. Who're you?"

"A prisoner, of course. Do you think I'd be sitting here calmly if I was a Magister holdout?" He scoffed. "That infernal _Dallis woman _left me trapped here, too weak to escape. It seems I'm in your debt."

"Well, that seems to be happening a lot lately. We're trying to get the ship moving, do you know anything about that?" Vael sighed slightly. She'd been hoping there would be something obvious when they arrived, not a prickly man in fancy clothes.

"Dallis didn't tell me anything if she could avoid it, but..." He held a hand to his chin in mock-theatrics. "I did overhear her practicing an ancient lizard dialect. That might ring a bell with _you_, might it?"

Vael looked to the Prince. "Like the dialects that could be sung to control slaves, right?" She'd never been particularly comfortable with the practice herself, but then again they did prove to be so _useful_. At the same time... Her hand subconsciously went to her neck. Being captured and corraled as she had been before did have a way of altering perspectives.

He nodded once. "Just so."

The man seemed to agree. "My thoughts exactly. Curious, how Dallis would seek to learn such things, don't you think? Perhaps she left something behind to point to her intentions."

"That's... a good idea." Vael looked to the others. "Look around. A book, a piece of parchment. Anything that might have lyrics on it. If she controls the ship with a song, we have to know the words." She turned back to the man before her. "Who _are _you, anyway?"

"I'm an expert in healing, crafting, and, eh, more... _arcane _practices. Dallis took a particular interest in me, and my skills." He scoffed. "She kept me here to do her bidding - until you took her flagship from under her nose, it seems."

"Sounds like she kept you as a slave, then."

"Oh yes. And she was a most cruel mistress indeed." He pushed up his sleeve and revealed his arm, beneath, the skin was withered and discolored, as if it were magically decayed. "She used some form of domination device on me... forcing my hands to do her bidding, and half-ruined them in the process."

Vael dipped her head toward him. "My sympathies."

He looked toward her with a smirk. "Well, the situation is looking _immeasurably _better now. You'll hear no more complaints from me. So why don't you tell me all about my valiant rescuers - to whom do I owe my thanks?"

Vael smirked. "Well, as I said before, I'm Vael, that's Ifan, and the Prince," she pointed them out in turn. "We're escapees from Joy. We've been lucky to make it this far, to be honest."

He scoffed once more. "You undersell yourself! The roster of those who've stood up to the Magisters and lived to tell the tale is a short one." He lifted the gauntlet in his lap. "I ought to continue what I'm doing here- unless there was anything else...?"

"Your name. You never gave it."

"Ah. Tarquin." He extended a hand, which Vael gave a firm- if slightly gentle, due to his condition- shake. 

"Nice to meet you, do-" She paused as the Prince raised a large, dusty book into the air.

"I believe I found it." Vael raised her brow and hurried toward him, leaving Tarquin to his work. 

"You did? Open it up!" Vael eagerly leaned over, practically bouncing on her toes to see the book.

The Prince cracked open the dusty pages and poured through them. It was a songbook, that was certain, but the question now was _which _song they wanted. He flipped a few more pages, then gestured to the top of one. "Ah! Look, this one has been dog-eared." He quickly examined the rest of the pages, none of the others had been folded over to such a degree. "I believe this is the one we're looking for."

Vael quickly mouthed the words on the page, then nodded to him. "Do you mind?"

He shook his head with a smile. "Not at all."

She took the book and hurried off toward the deck above, taking the stairs two at a time. She practiced the words as she went, wanting to make sure she got the pronunciation correct. She blew past one of the others, the Dwarf, then past Gareth as she hurried off across the deck, taking the steps two at a time.

She reached the figurehead and paused, for a moment, looking up at it. She hadn't forgotten the way it had incinerated the other Seeker, though the others on the ship had at least cleaned him up by now. The area still stank of roasted flesh, however, which gave Vael a moment's pause. She looked over the thing, she could have sworn she saw it _breathing _but she imagined it must have just been a trick of the eye or the movement of the waves beneath the vessel. It was a credit to the craftsmen who'd carved it, at any rate, that they could create something so lifelike.

Vael lifted the book and was about to sing the words when she realized there was a slave mark on the ship's cheek. A living scar, just like the ones used to enslave elves. She pursed her lips for a moment, at least that seemed to confirm what they thought about the song... Vael took a deep breath, and then in a somewhat-shaky voice began to sing. She didn't imagine she was very good at it, she'd never really tried her hand at singing, but as long as the words were correct...

As Vael finished the song, the deck beneath her groaned and shook, like the ship itself was awakening from a slumber. A deep sigh emerged, unmistakably the sound of a living being. Vael nearly dropped the book as she jumped back, the large dragon's head creaking as it swung toward her- she half-imagined that she'd be snapped up in an instant, devoured by a living ship... but no such nightmare occurred. Instead, the ship began to _speak _to her.

"You... are not the witch. You are not Dallis." The dragon blinked an eye toward her. "You sang the song. Now you must decide my fate. Are you to be my new mistress?"

Vael almost answered 'yes' by instinct, her mouth opening, and closing before she shut it for a good few moments. She thought back to Joy, what it had been like, then decided to deflect with a question. "I would like to know more about who - o-or what - I'm talking to, first."

"Ask. I am here to serve in all ways."

Vael winced just a fraction at that answer. "I uh, I heard that livewood came only from ancestor trees of the elven homeland... but those forests were sacrificed in the wars of the previous generation. How did you..."

The ship trembled, though as she began to speak, Vael realized it wasn't in fear but anger. "Sacrifice must be made willingly - our home was _stolen from us! _Magisters destroyed our way of life to end the war they started... then they uprooted me, and... and..."

Vael went to motion to stop her, she didn't have to continue if she didn't want to, but the ship continued unabated.

"They tore me apart and turned me into this _monstrosity._" The deck beneath her claws trembled, and Vael thought that should she have the ability, the figurehead would have torn herself from the ship and fallen into the sea.

"I... I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Vael tried to think of something, anything to say. "Do you remember... anything, from before?"

The creaking and shaking of the ship eased into a contemplative silence. It took her some time to answer. "Once, I was an elf... I passed away and was reborn as an ancestor tree, in a beautiful forest surrounded by kin of both flesh and root... but that time has passed. I saw that forest reduced to a dead place, then I was taken away. My memories were lost, like the leaves from my branches." The ship's head bowed slightly, and Vael knew now wasn't the time to ask any more questions.

"Well... I think I've decided, then." She gave the ship's figurehead what she hoped was a reassuring smile. The ship's creaking ceased, as if it was waiting with bated breath. "Given recent, ah, experiences-" Vael tugged at the hem of the shirt she wore beneath her armor, "I admit that I can see a few flaws in my people's use of slavery. Perhaps, for both our sakes, it would be best if we, ah..." Vael gestured vaguely with the book in her hand. "Continued forward as friends. Equals. Allies."

Vael heard a sound from behind herself and turned to look- to her shock, which _did _make her drop the book this time, she realized that what must be half the crew had gathered behind her to watch and listen to her speak to the ship's figurehead. She fumbled, reaching down for the book to hide the fact that she'd embarrassed herself and was glad, once again, that her scales hid any blushing. She noticed one of the Seekers giving her a thumbs up, approving of her decision, and even the Prince seemed... if not agreeable, he wasn't voicing any complaints.

The ship contemplated for some time before she answered. "Perhaps lizard blood does not truly run cold then. Thank you." She paused before continuing once more. "But I cannot be free again. Not truly. I am a vessel and must be guided. Let me take you wherever you wish. We can depart as soon as you are ready."

Vael nodded, lowering her head as she stepped away. She very nearly bumped into Malady as she turned, pulling up short with the book clutched against her chest. "My Gods! Warn someone before you creep up behind them like that."

The elven woman ignored her for the moment. "The ship's awake. Good." Malady looked up toward the figurehead, then down to Vael. "Is she ready to sail?"

"She is. She's active and ready to go." Vael closed the book to punctuate the statement.

A slow, toothless smile stretched across her face. "To Driftwood, then."

Vael nodded her assent. "To Driftwood. If you don't mind, after ... that, I think I need a drink. Or three." Vael pushed past the elven woman, heading for the lower parts of the ship. She thought she'd seen a bottle of wine in Dallis' room...


	17. Contemplation

Vael sat down near where Tarquin had been, resting at the table. A glass of wine had done wonders for her mood, she was currently nursing a second while looking at the songbook she'd carted down here with her. One of them intrigued her, it was the same words that Zorl-Stissa had sung to her when she'd met her... wherever that had been. It was a very old melody, so it didn't surprise her that she'd not heard it before. She'd thought it had been a song similar to something her mother used to sing, but the words and tune were just ever so different. Perhaps a different version that had been altered from the original over time? She didn't know.

Vael looked up to see the Prince watching her as she sat at the table, she quickly pushed a chair aside and motioned for him to sit. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude before, I was just feeling slightly overwhelmed, and-"

He waved a hand dismissively. "It's no bother. Really." He walked closer to her, claws tapping across wood and carpet until he took the offered seat. "I wanted to speak to you about what happened earlier." He paused. "Before... all the other things that happened earlier, anyway."

She raised a brow toward him. "What do you mean?"

"The..." He looked away from her, out the large windows toward the sea, gathering his thoughts. "When we were fighting Alexandar, you... did something."

Vael let out a soft 'ah' and set her wine glass on the table. "Yes. That."

"I know what it is." He shifted in his seat and cleared his throat before he continued. "You see, our people are descended from dragons. It explains our majestic bearing and naturally regal demeanor." He lifted his head and gestured to himself. "What you can do I have seen in few others. It is rare, yes, but not as rare as you may think." He waved a finger in her direction.

"So what is it, then?" Vael hadn't considered it'd be something known, she thought it had just been something unique to her, or something Zorl-Stissa had given her maybe.

"It's called the 'Dragon Rage', or sometimes the 'Rage of the Ancients'. You see, our people are connected to dragons, but some are connected more closely than others." He gestured with a hand toward Vael. "Some can even access some of their strength, as you do. The House of War values these people quite highly, it is no surprise to me then that you served them, even if you did not know your own abilities. You would have been naturally drawn to their service."

Vael raised a brow but let him continue. She hadn't known this, but then again when she'd served she hadn't exactly asked many questions.

"It seems that with your connection to the Source you can quite literally tap into their strength, whereas for most it is generally a figure of speech. They go into a sort of 'berserker rage' in battle. You, however, with your connection and Source abilities, literally burst into flames. You even had 'wings' of a sort when you charged him." He smirked slightly. "Quite a sight, if I might say so myself."

Vael cleared her throat. "Ah. Well then."

"Indeed." He tapped his claw against the table. "Anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you knew. It is quite a valuable ability, one that I would encourage you to continue to use if you are to accompany me on my path to ascension. I am quite proud to have someone of such strength supporting me, you make a good ally."

Vael's face fell then as he mentioned ascending, and she turned her head to her wine glass, taking a long, contemplative sip that nearly drained the glass.

"Did I say something wrong?" He seemed confused by her change in expression.

Vael shook her head. "No, no. Just... thinking. That's all." She glanced toward him, then gestured to his scales. "What's it like, being red? You're the 'Red Prince', after all, it is a massive part of your identity."

He pulled himself up with a wide smile. "Don't tell me you've never heard the stories! The tale of my birth has been a bedtime staple for years, a dinner party favorite."

Vael chuckled to herself and gestured for him to go on. "Let me hear it from the red horse's mouth. So to speak. I'm sure you tell it better than others."

He placed his hand across his chest. "Of course I do, others do not give the tale proper embellishment. Very well, listen closely:" He gathered himself up as he began his tale, his tail landing regally across his lap for his free hand to rest upon. "One day a red sun rose, turning the desert sands into a blood-colored sea. When my mother, roused from dreams, beheld this crimson dawn she knew the time had come, and promptly gave birth to me."

"The sun rose to its zenith, but there settled refused to descend toward the beckoning dusk." He stood from his chair then, gesturing with his hand as his voice rose. "Instead, she hung there for seven days and seven bright, starless nights: so enamored was she with her little Red Prince." He looked down toward her. "Indeed, I've been a married man since the day I was born, for they call me the Spouse of the Sun: she who is all life and beauty, she whose color I wear not in cloth but in skin."

Vael smiled up at him, politely clapping her claws together. "Told beautifully, as I expected."

He preened. "Isn't it just? A beautiful, beautiful story." He looked toward her, raising his brow before he laughed. "There are those who believe that little legend, you know. I'm not one of them."

She raised a brow and peered curiously at him. "Really? I would have thought you of anyone would believe it."

He scoffed. "To tell you the truth, I've no idea why I'm red, but I do fancy I was rather lucky to be born a prince. My heritage made people _celebrate _my... uniqueness. Had I been common-born they might have just drowned me in a well."

Vael snorted, almost choking on a sip of her wine. "My goodness. I admire you for being so down-to-earth about the matter. I suppose you're not all pomp and circumstance after all."

He nodded his head. "Why, thank you. You'll find I don't live up to expectations with remarkable frequency." She raised a brow at him before he continued. "Case in point is that I have a high opinion of myself because of my unparalleled skills and intellect, _not _because of the bed I was born in." He smirked. "Though I won't go so far as to deny absolute wealth has its perks. Absolute power for instance."

"Small wonder I seek my way back to the throne," he finished, then took his chair once again.

Vael nodded her head. "If I had been born so, so would I." She paused for a moment, turning her head to peer out of the windows behind. "You know, I want your opinion on something."

"Of course." He dipped his head.

"The Lady Vengeance, the ship... she herself is enslaved. Was enslaved... Do you approve of my setting her free? Or... as much as I could. After..." Vael rubbed her neck with a claw. "I couldn't enforce that anymore. After feeling what it was like, even for such a short time."

"I'd say my opinion is rather straightforward." He clacked his claws softly upon the table. "Some rule; some serve. It's the way of the world." He looked toward her. "It's a custom as old as time. We conquered, established rule, and demonstrated our unequivocal authority by making slaves out of defeated nobles and royals." He pursed his lips. "Now the rules have... relaxed somewhat. Slaves have simply become a commodity; a given. They come from all walks of life from all over Rivellon."

Vael nodded her head. "Of course. I know all of this as well as you, but what I wanted was your opinion on it. Do you... disagree with what I did?"

"I don't necessarily disagree, but," he tapped his chin. "As long as the mark remains, it's all semantics really, isn't it? The marks are pinnacles of magic in their own subtle way. Works of art, really. A string around a slave's very soul. Obedience made absolute."

"I guess so." Vael looked down at the table again, gently scratching at the surface. "The House of Law doesn't allow slavery, I wonder if there's any reason behind it other than their rivalry with War."

The Prince scoffed. "The House of Law will say black whenever the House of War says white. They're a coven of petulant children hiding their pettiness behind the obtuse terminology of jurisprudence." He waved a hand dismissively. "Only fools lean on their false authority."

"You seem to know much about the marks, do you know exactly how they work? I've never been in a particular situation to study them too closely, my reading never brought me toward them and I've never had a slave myself, which perhaps explains my... reluctance." She gestured toward him. "Perhaps you could explain."

"Ah! Straight to the scholarship of the matter. Very good!" He tapped his claw against the table before placing it on his leg. "Here's the beauty of the scar, see: it _lives_. It is one with a slave's tissue and bends his actions against his will. All this can be achieved by means of music. Every scar is attuned to a unique song, sound or melody."

Vael hadn't known that. She pursed her lips, thinking back to when Zorl-Stissa had sung to her, how it had drawn her in and entranced her, made her want to move despite her own opinions. She opened her mouth for a moment to speak, then snapped it shut. She still wasn't sure how much she wanted to discuss with him about what happened there.

He continued despite her hesitation. "He who knows the melody controls the slave. Whistle, and oh, how they'll come a-running." He smiled at the thought.

Vael nodded her head and stood, turning to look out of the window. "I see." She thought she was starting to understand a little better what had occurred in her meeting with Zorl-Stissa. She wasn't being coerced or tested... her Goddess had been trying to see how well she could be controlled. She wondered if there was truly a mark somewhere upon her or had it always been there, just waiting to hear the right song.

The Prince stood, stepping toward her like he was going to ask if he'd said something wrong again, but thought better of it. Eventually, he headed back out of the room, leaving Vael alone with her thoughts.

It was quite some time- she didn't know how long it had been, other than that the sun had long ago gone down, leaving the ship traveling onward across the waves in the silent dark of the night- when she realized there was someone standing near her. Vael turned, her long-empty wineglass still in hand, when she realized that Ifan stood next to her, gazing out toward the sea. "I didn't notice you come in."

He grunted, giving a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders. Vael smiled at this, eventually turning her gaze back toward the sea. She stayed there for a while longer, watching the waves with him at her side, when she eventually turned her head toward him. "What do you think about Alexandar still being alive? You were contracted to kill him."

He considered this, standing in silence, but eventually continued. "Yes, I was. And I did." He nodded once. "But... if he's Godwoken like us? Maybe, for now... just maybe, it's good fortune that he's still breathing." He hesitated before continuing. "The Lone Wolves were tasked with killing Godwoken. So if we want to find out who's hunting us, we'll need to track down my old pack to get some answers."

She raised her brow quite high at that news. "You were contracted to kill Godwoken? The irony, then, that you count yourself among their number." She snorted a breath through her nose. "And I can't help but wonder why. Someone doesn't want there to be any more Divines, it seems." She breathed out a quiet sigh. "I suppose asking your pack about it would be a good way to get to the bottom of things. It sounds good to me, at least on the face of it."

He nodded once. "It does, doesn't it?"

Vael smirked, turning her gaze back out to the sea. Another while of silence passed before she spoke again. "Do you get lonely, on the road? You seem the type to travel by yourself, it makes me wonder."

"Lonely?" He scoffed. "I wouldn't think so. I went from life in the regiment, to life in the pack, to life on the road with you. I haven't had _time _to be lonely."

Vael nodded at this, reaching for her bottle of wine to refill her glass finally. "I suppose we should figure out who actually gets this room. I meant to ask the Prince about it earlier, but our conversation went elsewhere."

Ifan grunted. "This is too rich for me. I already picked out a spot on the upper floor."

Vael nodded once. "I was thinking along the same lines. There was a cozy spot I noticed in the corner, I think I'll pack up and head up there." She looked to the table where Tarquin had been sitting, noticing the strange red pyramid that had been sitting there next to her wine bottle. "Though I have to wonder what this-" Vael tapped her finger to the thing and in an instant, she was standing somewhere else, somewhere dark- and she wasn't alone.

"-is?" She looked around herself, realizing that there were two massive geists lurking down here in the dark. She loosed a loud scream, realizing rather all of a sudden that she was without her weapon. She'd left it in the stateroom leaning against the table since she hadn't expected to need it.

One of the creatures, larger and far more twisted than the others she'd seen, lunged for her, barely missing taking her head off. Vael was really regretting the fact that she'd taken her helmet off to drink, at the very least she'd had the foresight to leave her armor on! The second creature lunged, forcing Vael to dive to the floor to avoid the blow that left huge gouges in the wood. She pushed down as she rolled up, springing into the air where she'd spotted a large shelf out of reach of the things. She gave the ladder a swift kick, knocking it away, as she heard a hatch open overhead.

The Prince's voice came through the hatch, followed quickly by the Prince himself. "Vaeltorya! We're coming!" He dropped to the ground, weapon at the ready, and sprung up into a combat stance, immediately being forced to block one of the geist's swipes with his shield.

Ifan dropped in behind him, shoulder-checking one of the geists and unloading his crossbow at point-blank into the thing, forcing it to scream.

For her part, Vael found herself with an ample supply of boxes and barrels that she could chuck down at the things. Some of the boxes burst open, scattering cargo and equipment, others survived the impact. Between the three of them, the Prince and Ifan mostly she had to admit, the two geists were soon slain, sprawled across the deck of this odd hidden compartment. Vael took a moment to catch her breath, then lowered herself down from where she'd taken refuge.

"What happened? One moment you were there, the next you were gone." Ifan shouldered his crossbow, giving one of the creatures a kick with his foot.

"I heard screaming and came running as quickly as I could." The Prince looked down toward one of the creatures. "What would possess someone to create such a thing?"

Vael shook her head, then looked around at where they'd ended up. "What _is _this place? It looks like some kind of lab."

The Prince looked around her and nodded. "Lab and cargo hold rolled into one. And look at this," he pointed to an arcane bit of equipment between two desks. "I've seen something like this before, it's used in necromancy."

Vael grimaced, then looked to the two creatures they'd slain. "I can only imagine what for."

"Indeed." Ifan gave one another kick, then holstered his crossbow on his back. "Well then, if that's all the excitement for the evening, I think I'll bunk up."

"Right." Vael glanced toward the Prince. "We were talking. Ah, if you want the larger room..."

He smiled toward her and placed a hand on his chest. "And I didn't even have to ask. I'm touched."

Vael chuckled to herself as she climbed the ladder they'd jumped down. "Touched. Right. That's the word."


	18. Dallis

Vael was jolted out of her bunk the next morning by a solid _thunk _against the side of the ship's hull. She sat up, barely remembered dreams of vibrant blue eyes and falling into the dark falling away from her thoughts as she woke, rolling over to sit up. "What? What happened?" There was another thud, this one strong enough to nearly jostle her out of her bed entirely and somewhere above her she heard a scream.

She leaped out of bed, shoving her armor on haphazardly, but taking as much time as she dared to try to put it on at least some semblance of coherently. She hadn't noted where Ifan had chosen to sleep and she was in too much of a hurry to get dressed to look for him. She hopped on one foot, tugging on her last boot with one hand while holding her sword in the other, trying to rush toward the back of the ship and the stairwell in order to climb up and see what the hell was going on upon the deck.

Another jolt and jostle knocked her to her feet, causing the lizard to fall down with a curse, she at least took the opportunity to tug on her boot properly before she pushed herself to her feet. She spotted Ifan tugging on his helmet with one hand, his crossbow held in the other. "Ifan! Ifan what's going on!"

"I have no bloody idea." He secured the strap of his helmet around his chin, then hurried closer and adjusted and fixed Vael's armor where she'd tugged it on wrong in her haste. "Have you seen the Prince?"

"No, not yet, but he's-" She was interrupted as the Prince himself poked his head up and out of the hatch.

"I need my beauty sleep, you know!" His words said he was joking, but the fact that he'd managed to slip on most of his armor as well showed that he too knew something was up.

Vael nodded, helping him adjust himself just as Ifan had done for her, then motioned for the two of them to follow her as she charged up the stairs to find absolute bedlam awaiting her on deck. The early morning light was dimmed by rainclouds overhead, splattering the deck with droplets sporadically. It seemed to be the only thing saving the _Lady Vengeance _from bursting into flames even moreso than she already was. They'd been boarded by the Magisters who'd managed to slip alongside in the early morning.

Vael supposed with the Seeker's depleted numbers they hadn't managed to keep a proper watch but she still wished she'd been given _some _notice instead of thrown out of bed by the impact of the two ships colliding. They'd already begun to board, but at least the Seekers had managed to put up some semblance of a defense...

A voice rang out through the early morning gloom- one that Vael recognized from the Fort.

"I respect your mettle, Sourcerers. You steal my ship, kill my bishop and ally with demons. But you have no idea what you're really dealing with." Dallis pointed to the man at her side.

"We are ready, mistress." The cloaked and hooded man held a staff burning with magical flame at the top.

Dallis barked in response. "Yes. _But are they?_"

"I swear mistress. I swear they'll perform admirably." The man chuckled loud enough for Vael to hear it over the din, she had already moved closer to the fighting, though for the moment it seemed to have stilled to the briefest and barest of skirmishes.

"Very well. _Show me._" Dallis gestured to the Seekers standing on the deck. "Goodbye, Sourcerers."

Dallis held her namesake hammer aloft, swinging it over her head. "This is my ship, I won't see you take it!" She pointed the head of her hammer at the hooded man. "You, act!"

The man intoned a spell under his breath. "Yes, mistress."

Vael ducked the swing of a Magister near her, trying to fend him off with her blade, so she could only watch in horror as magical meteors fell from the sky above the gathered Seekers. Most of them were incinerated in an instant.

The rage within her near-instantly reached a boiling point, the Magister's next strike was his last, as Vael swept her blade up above his guard and beheaded him on the spot. "**YOU MONSTERS.**" The lizard roared, flames igniting around her hands. She'd climb their ship and take the bitch's head herself if she had to, so help her-

She felt the Prince's hand on her shoulder. "No! You stay here, you stand with us."

Eyes ablaze with fury, she turned to the Prince. "What!?"

Malady spoke from near the ship's wheel. "Oh for the love of the Void... Get ahold of yourself, we can't win this fight." Even as she spoke, more Magisters poured from Dallis' ship and onto their own. Ifan had taken up a position in the crow's nest but even he only had so many bolts for his crossbow.

Vael turned her gaze on Malady next. "I'll-!"

"Buy me time!", the elf shouted back. "I can get us to safety." Malady took up her stance, spear held in her hand as arcane light began to gather around it. "Show us what you can do, Godwoken."

Dallis replied, but over the din of the fighting and waves and Malady's gathering spell, Vael couldn't hear what it was. She was done listening now, anyway, her blood was up, her furious flames ignited, and _she would make Magisters pay. _Those flames soon became quite literal, she heard Dallis' pet mutter something into the morning gloom and it felt like her blood literally burst into flame. The pain of it made her scream, her grip slackened around her blade and she very nearly dropped it, forcing herself to power through in order to defend the ship and Malady.

The Prince was beginning to prove his credentials as a general of the House of War, gathering what few Seekers and fighters remained on their side in order to defend Malady while she cast whatever spell it was that she was going to use to get them out of this mess. His voice rang out clear over the din, calling Seekers into position, pointing out targets. He ducked behind his shield now and again to dodge or deflect bolts from enemy forces, but again and again, he rallied them.

Vael found herself fighting alongside Gareth in the front of the lines, fighting side-by-side with the Seeker leader. Fighting against the burning pain within, she struck blow after blow, but there were so many of them that she began to worry they may actually lose this fight. Remaining Seekers began to fall, one by one, felled by Magister blade, arrow or spell. Vael cried out in agony as whatever spell that Dallis' henchman had worked upon her came to fruition, the flames within her became the flames without as she burned.

She screamed, falling to her knees on the deck as she felt very real fires licking at her scales around her, the flames erupting from within spread around her, lighting another Seeker on fire. She never saw Gareth fall, distracted by flames or without her guard at his side, she didn't know, but when the flames subsided around her, she saw him lying bloodied on the deck. 

Vael forced herself to her feet, her blade back in her hand despite her injuries, as the ship's figurehead creaked and turned to stare hatefully at their foe. "You will not take me again, Dallis!"

Magic coursed through the ship, through the remaining seekers, bolstering them. Vael could feel it soothing her burned flesh and scales, just enough that she could concentrate on the battle around her. She struck blow after blow. She heard Magisters and their creations scream as Ifan's bolts slammed into them. The Prince's voice grew hoarse as he continued to shout orders, directing their defense, striking blows where he could, defending others.

Vael heard Malady call out over the cacophony. "Almost there! A little longer!"

Vael screamed back as she fended off another blow from one of the Magister's abominations, another geist to replace the last she'd killed. "A little longer better be right now!"

A magical blast slammed into her back, she didn't know from who, a blow fell upon her armor, forcing her to drop her blade as she hissed and instinctively withdrew her arm. She remembered hearing Malady shout 'Damn I'm good!' over the din before everything fell away around her.

Vael awoke on her back, blinking her eyes up at the starred, stony skies above her. For a moment she was confused. Had she died? Had she failed? Was her journey over? She heard a groan at her side, she turned her head, the Prince and Ifan lay across the stones before her. No, she couldn't be dead, they hadn't all fallen at once, that wasn't possible.

She forced herself to sit up, holding a hand to her aching head. "Where are we?" She looked around, hexagonal stones marching off into the infinite distance. At the back of her mind tugged memories of a song. _'Champion.'_ She knew that voice. She knew where she was.

She forced herself to her feet, helping Ifan, then the Prince to do the same, then looked around. It was where they'd met Zorl-Stissa before, but... Ifan hadn't been there that time. What was different? A pungent smell, an odor of rot and decay permeated the air here, something was deathly wrong. All at once the odor cleared, leaving behind a wooden scent and something cold and metallic. A scent she most certainly didn't recognize. "Come, you two. I... something's wrong, but I don't know what."

They forced themselves to their feet, looking just as dazed as Vael felt, but soon enough began to follow her along the path. Up ahead they could see a tree, vibrantly glowing with a brilliant inner light, but odd, glowing fruits hung from this particular tree's branches. "What are... those..."

The Prince seemed to realize it before she did, gasping out as he rushed across a bridge that built itself under his footsteps. "The Gods! Zorl-Stissa! I'm coming!"

Vael even heard Ifan call out Rhalic's name, and she hurried across the bridge behind them, not wanting to be left behind or cut off should the bridge collapse after they passed. She hurried to the Prince's side as he held out his arms toward their Goddess. "Are they dead?"

"No, she's still breathing... or doing whatever it is that passes for breathing when you're a God. Help me." He tried to put his hands on her, to help her down from the tree, but hissed and pulled his hands away. There was a ... sickness, a barrier around the Gods that prevented them from touching her.

Ifan seemed to come by the solution first, he clapped his hands together, spread his legs, held a hand out toward Rhalic. The light of a blessing passed over his God, which seemed to pull him from his stupor. "Blessings! Prince, bless her. Please, I feel too weak."

The Red Prince nodded, standing back as he reached within himself. Golden light shone from his fingertips and passed over their Goddess, who gasped and _finally _opened her eyes.

She looked down upon the two of them, her gasping wheezes became a hum, then a gently wavering song. _"Champions I called, my champions did come..." _

Though she sang to both of them, Vael felt the Goddess's eyes turn to her, and she wanted to become lost in the words, but memories of her thoughts from the night before came flooding back and she pulled herself away, not allowing her to give in to the haunting call of the verse.

Unabated the song continued. Vael saw the Prince close his eyes and sway, but she reached out and gently pulled him back as Zorl-Stissa continued. _'Together we gazed into the black. We turned our backs to it, we turned, we turned...' _Her song ceased and she looked between the two of them. "You have come. My chosen. It is not too late. Not yet. But almost!"

Vael looked to the Prince, who seemed to still be shaking himself from the effects of the song. "What happened? Last I saw the Seven were fighting, now this..."

"Yes; and while we quibbled, an enemy greater than any one of us stole in like a thief in the night." Their Goddess struggled against her bonds, but it seemed she was as-yet too weak to pull herself free, her tail hanging limply behind her. "But... here you are. My chosen - my Godwoken - our hope. _You _will undo what has been done."

She looked between the two of them, from the Prince to Vael and back again. "I saw it as I drifted here, at the midpoint between reality and oblivion..." She tried to free herself again, then eventually gave up and hung limp. "I saw... I saw... Rivellon, but there _was _no Rivellon. There were no people; no Ancient Empire; none of our people; none of our great works..."

"No Empire? But that is quite impossible." The Prince shook his head in disbelief.

Zorl-Stissa nodded her head. "I grow cold now, even thinking about it. It was not a dream, my Godwoken. It was a threat; a promise from our enemy - the enemy you and you alone can stop. It was a vision of the Void - and it made me tremble with fear..."

"But..." Vael looked to the Prince, then back to their Goddess. "But what can we do, how can we help?"

"You must obey me!" Their Goddess' head rose. "Soon the Seven will be nothing but morsels in the maws of the Void unless you do as I bid you; do what I blessed you for!" She turned her gaze over both of them, but her gaze lingered on Vael. "You have already set loose some of the powers locked within you, but there is a great well of possibility as-yet untapped."

Vael heard the voice inside of her speak once more as Zorl-Stissa stared at her, lips unmoving _'You cannot stop until you ascend to the highest heights of your power. You cannot stop until you become Divine. Like Lucian, you will be called to unite the powers of the Seven against the Void. Like Lucian, you will lead our proud people to pre-eminence. But unlike Lucian, your weakness will not lead you to foolish failure.'_

The moment seemed to stretch on and on, the Prince beside her stood frozen, staring up at the Goddess' face. Their conversation in the mind taking place over a single moment stretched on until it felt like minutes had passed. When Vael spoke, her voice had a hollow quality to it, echoing in the infinitely-stretched seconds that passed between them. "So that is the grand plan? To become Divine, do as Lucian once did?"

_'Either a new Divine rises, or the world falls prey to the Void. One of the Godwoken must become the new Divine, and that Godwoken must be you.' _The Goddess' eyes bored into Vael, but she felt that Zorl-Stissa had tipped her hand. It didn't have to be her who became Divine if she found a Godwoken more suited to the job, if she could save the Prince...

_'You are my champion. Set off in pursuit of divinity!'_

Vael slowly nodded her head. "I will." She didn't say _whose _divinity she'd pursue, but her Goddess didn't seem to be able to keep up the effect any longer, breathing out a heavy sigh as she looked to the Prince- animate once again- then back to Vael.

Zorl-Stissa opened her mouth to respond but stopped dead. Her head jerked from side to side, searching for something unseen. "You ... you must hurry. I hear it singing to me." Her eyes went dim as she began to sing once again, but unlike the other that invited warmth, affection, this song chilled Vael down to the tip of her tail. _'Fire and ice; death and skulls; blackness, blackness...' _Her eyes looked to Vael and the Prince, she seemed to become lucid once more. "Go!"

White-hot cold pierced her heart like a blade. She felt frozen to the spot, burning cold pumped through her, reminding her of nothing more than Vredeman's spell coursing through her veins once again. She wanted to fall to a knee, to cry out, but the sensation prevented her. She fell back, dark surrounding her again...

She awoke on the Lady Vengeance once again, the ship's timbers creaking beneath her as she pushed herself once more to her feet. "I... think we're back on the ship, but ... it's different... We're... not on the sea, and... where is everyone?"

Ifan shook his head as he looked around. "I don't know, but I don't like any of this." 


	19. Aftermath

The world around them was both familiar and incredibly strange at the same time. It looked like where they'd met their gods, the same overarching cavern-starfield overhead, large pillars made of those odd hexagonal stones slipping by the sides of the ship. But how could a ship travel there? Vael's head spun just attempting to think about it, what in all the hells had Malady done?

She leaned over the edge of the ship, peering down into the mist, but wherever they were in this strange realm was so high in the air- or whatever it was- that she couldn't see what lay below them. Pillars and mist, stretching away into the depths as far as she could see. Vael looked to the others, then spoke what she thought might have been on their lips. "If... The Void can do that to the Gods... They were strung up like... like criminals to be executed. Like fruit to be plucked from the tree at some being's leisure." She leaned over onto the railing, staring into the mists below. "What chance do we have against that?"

Ifan leaned closer to her, his comforting hand on her shoulder. "The Void has been pushed back before, by the power of mortals. The Gods couldn't handle it... but maybe _we _can."

Vael looked to the mists, then slowly nodded her head and pushed away from the railing. "Maybe we can. I'm sorry, I shouldn't despair. I was just so shocked to see them brought so low."

The Prince looked toward the two of them, lifting a claw to look at his nails as he did. "If the Gods are to die, then I say long live the Godwoken. If the Seven should indeed come to nothing, I'll be ready to take their place."

Vael couldn't tell if it was bluster for her benefit, or if he truly believed it, but she couldn't help but smile at his bravado all the same. "Maybe that's what we need. I don't know."

She looked from the bow to the stern, shaking her head as she did. "We need to see what became of the others. We can't get the ship out of here ourselves and we need to figure out what happened to them."

When her two companions nodded, Vael finally stepped away from the railing, though she did cast one more look down at the mists below before she did. She could see no one above decks, so she assumed they were all somewhere below. That's where she'd go look first. The silent deck creaked underfoot as Vael wandered lower into the bowels of the ship, searching for any sign of life at all. They checked the living quarters, the dining room and galley, but only silence greeted them. When they were satisfied with their search of the middle deck, they continued lower, into the bowels of the ship.

Vael peeked into the stateroom, but no one lingered there, either. She turned the corner to head down into the hold, maybe they'd taken shelter by that odd mirror or in the cage- it was the most secure part of the ship, after all- when something she'd never expected to see stood before her. Vael looked to Ifan and the Prince, trying to confirm if they could see it too, and by their stunned expressions, she gathered they could.

Standing before them- for some definition of the word- stood four spirits. The Undead she'd seen, the Dwarf, the elf from her cage who'd been obsessed with dice... Vael felt her heart stop for a moment. Lohse stood there with them as well. But how? She'd been... Vael hurried down the steps, ignoring the Prince's hand on her arm as he tried to stop her. "Nothing good can come of this, Vaeltorya!"

She hurried down the steps so quickly that she almost stumbled when she reached the bottom. "Lohse! I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

The woman hardly seemed to notice that she was there, but when Vael approached, her ghostly form still spoke. "I still heard it. It's still there. It'll never leave me alone... it'll never leave me alone." Her voice sounded so terrified that Vael's heart went out to her immediately. Then the woman turned toward her, her incorporeal stare passing right through Vael and yet captivating her all the same. "You did this. You _fix this. _Find it. Destroy it. _Make it leave me be._"

Vael stammered a reply, but Lohse had already turned away, the moment of lucidity passed. She stepped back and wrung her hands, looking toward the others. "We have to make it right."

They nodded once. "We'll do what we can," Ifan offered.

Vael turned to the others, waving a hand before them, but like Lohse, they didn't really seem to realize they were there. Vael tried to speak to them, to learn anything that she could, but other than the Undead pulling forth a notebook and beginning to write- something that Vael would need to figure out how that was possible later- none of the others really seemed to notice they were there. She shook her head, then turned toward the bow of the ship, toward the cage. She could see a light coming from within, and her heart jumped a beat. Maybe someone else was still alive.

She motioned the others forward, hurried down the stairs, trying to put her conversation with Lohse out of her mind. She didn't know who or what had taken her, but she'd find out, and she'd stop it. She owed the woman at least that much. Ahead of them, masking the bars of the cage that had once held Seekers, that held Seekers once again, was an odd magical field... and Malady. But so few, couldn't she have saved anyone else?

"Malady! Where are the others... is this all that's left?!" Vael gasped. Just Han, a lizard... Malady herself. Gareth's body lay near Malady's feet, so he had fallen after all...

The elf didn't deign to answer her questions, looking up at her as she approached. "Where have you _been? _I can't keep this up much longer. We need to go."

"But go where, where _are _we in the first place?" Vael wasn't much in the mood to be bossed around by the cranky elf, she wanted to know what was going on.

"There's no time, I can't hold us here." Malady scoffed toward her. "Brace yourself. This... might hurt." She smirked toward Vael. "A lot."

The world fell around them as the ship lurched, creaking in protest at whatever Malady was doing. Vael was knocked from her feet, skittering against one of the far walls, unable to hang on as the others fell around her. There was a massive noise, so loud and deep that it hurt her ears and seemed to bore itself into her head before the ship lurched again and slammed into something. For a moment Vael thought they were all going to die despite everything, then the ship shifted and settled and Vael could just barely hear the sloshing of water against the hull. They were back.

She pushed herself to her feet, grumbling under her breath. Malady had disappeared, she had no idea where the elf had gone, but at least the others were still here. "Is everyone alright?" With assent and nods from those few still gathered, the lizard pushed herself to her feet and stormed off toward the upper deck. She was finally going to get some answers out of this elf.

Vael ascended as quickly as she could, but she still stopped when her head broke the outside level to look at the sky above- She never thought she'd be so happy to see the sun before. Her eyes narrowed to slits when she saw Malady near the wheel, bent over and retching. Served her right for being so damn snippy all the time. As Vael approached she caught the tail end of whatever was wrong with the elf, the woman finally coughing up a globule of... "Is that _Source!?_" The shimmering silver puddle wiggled away under its own power and slipped off of the side of the ship, leaving Vael horrified.

"Ah. Better." Malady stood up, wiping her mouth with the back of one hand. "Let's not do that again any time soon, hmm?"

Vael pointed off toward where the thing had gone. "Do _what _exactly? You've been very poor about answering any questions!"

The elf stared down at her and leaned back against the ship's wheel. "Well, we needed to escape, didn't we? So I took us to the one place I was quite certain Dallis couldn't follow." She gestured idly with a hand. "I suppose you recognized the Hall of Echoes from those visions you'd had before. Realm of the dead, realm of divinity. I _do _hope you learned something useful on our little field trip."

Vael's blood ran cold at the thought. _That _was the Hall of Echoes? "But it's so empty..." She turned her mind to the question the woman had asked of her, then shook her head. "I'm not sure. We met the Gods again, but they seemed... desperate." Vael explained what they'd seen to the woman as Ifan and the Prince finally caught up after she'd gone rushing up the stairs.

Malady listened intently to this, for once not giving Vael a snarky comment or snide look. If anything, she actually looked concerned. "Desperate how?," she asked before Vael got the chance to answer, then stayed silent through the rest of the tale. Toward the end, she looked like she was just inspecting her fingernails with idle disinterest, but Vael could see the wheels turning in her head.

"I see," she finally said after some moments of silence. "So your gods seemed uncharacteristically frightened, told you the Void was coming and that only _you _could ascend to Divinity-" Vael could see the Prince turn his head toward her questioningly at that, she'd have to tell him sooner rather than later, it seemed- "after which you felt a cold, deep within you. Well then. It sounds like you need to ascend, doesn't it? And quickly." Malady inspected her fingernails for a moment longer before she turned her gaze back to the three at last. "Did they mention how you were meant to become the next Divine?"

Vael glanced toward the Prince, unsure of what to say, then shook her head and looked toward Malady. "No. I'm supposed to grow my powers or something like that, but I'm not entirely sure where to start."

The Prince nudged her with his hand, muttering low under his breath. "We need to talk."

Vael nodded, then looked back toward Malady as the elf began to speak again. 

"Oh, what confidence you inspire. Luckily for you, Mama Malady is here to help. We already know you can bless, but as far as I know, you can neither see Source nor take it as you see fit. I may not know much about divinity, but I do know that any Godwoken worth their salt will know how to perform _all _these oh-so-fantastic feats. You need to go see the Meistr."

"_Take _Source? How in Gods' names am I supposed to do that? We've sp-" She paused for a moment at the thought of Lohse, then continued, "Spoken to spirits, and we've done feats with Source."

"As have I, but not in the ways a _true _Godwoken can. Forget those ghastly little jars and wands to which small people must resort. You ought to be able to see and speak to the spirits that wander our realm. And you ought to be able to extract the Source they leave behind, too. All this, just by your little old onesie. No devices, no gimmicks. When you're done, you'll be able to amass and unleash quantities of Source so great that Lucian himself would blush. I quite look forward to seeing it."

Vael frowned, some of this sounded fun, or interesting, but... she wasn't so sure about seeing spirits everywhere or taking their Source. From what she understood, didn't a person's source constitute at least some portion of their soul...? She pursed her lips and looked up to Malady again. There wouldn't be anything for it but to learn, would there? Maybe she could still find some way... "Where is this 'Meistr' person?"

"She's got one of those... things, in Driftwood." Malady waved a hand. "You know, a building where people go, and they do things inside of it."

"A... home?" Vael offered, trying to be helpful.

In the same moment, as she spoke, Malady got it out. "Home. Yes, that's it. She's got a home in Driftwood. Give me your map." Vael passed up the map she'd had of Driftwood, she'd snagged it off of one of Dallis' tables in the stateroom before. "There you are." Malady dotted the map with her nail, leaving a little mark behind. "Tell her I sent you, and she'll handle the rest. You're at the beginning of a long journey, Godwoken. Long, but _exceedingly _interesting. Now! I must be going, and so must you."

"I guess we should be...", Vael glanced back toward the Prince, but Malady interrupted her.

"Wait. Before you go: If I'm not back by the time you find out where our journey takes us next, you can call me back here. Tell the ship - she'll know how to summon me. And in the unlikely case that you don't manage to do... whatever it is you'll need to do to become what you need to become, you could call me. But I would be... _grateful _if it doesn't come to that." Malady wandered off toward the little sloop at the side of the ship, then, leaving the three of them standing near the wheel.

"At least she didn't give us some snarky half-complement half-insult at the end," Vael offered to try to break the awkward silence that'd fallen over the group after the elf had left, but she could still see the Prince staring at her. She wasn't sure if he was angry, disappointed, or something in between...

Vael turned toward him. "Look, I was going to tell you as soon-"

He just continued to stare at her. "When did she tell you?"

"Prince, please, I-"

"_When did she tell you._" He asked again.

Vael put her head in her hands. "In the swamps. She told me in the swamps. I didn't know how to tell you, how can you tell someone that? If it was me I wouldn't want to know-"

"You wouldn't want to know that you aren't to become a God?" He seethed at her, he almost looked as if he was going to strike her where she stood.

He didn't know. He thought... Vael's eyes widened. "Oh, Gods..."

The Prince stepped back, he realized there was some puzzle piece that he was missing, his eyes searching hers. "What, what is it?"

Ifan stepped closer, looking like he was about to separate the two of them but he held back for the moment.

Vael could feel tears welling up behind her eyes, she couldn't tell him this, but she knew now that she had to. "Prince... She told me that... that... you die. You don't make it to the end." Vael put her head in her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have told you. I made a mistake. I did."

He stepped back as if struck, looking from side to side as if he was trying to find a way to escape the situation. "But... I can't. I'm the Red Prince." He stepped away from her moving, to the railing at the side of the ship to look out over the shimmering sea. Their trip through the Hall of Echoes didn't seem to have taken too long, the sun hadn't even completed it's rise to midday yet, silhouetting him against the shimmering of the water.

Ifan looked to her, then back to him, then gestured, with a hand. "You shouldn't leave him there."

Vael nodded slowly, then moved closer toward him. She stepped gingerly, trying not to make any noise, she wasn't sure if he was going to strike her down, turn and run, what he was going to do.

The Prince turned his head just enough to look back at her, his hands gripping the railing hard enough that his claws dug into the wood before he slowly relaxed. "It isn't your fault."

Vael wiped her eyes slowly. "It is. I should have said something."

"No. No one should know that." He stiffened up, it looked like he might smash the railing, like he was going to set fire to the ship- then all at once, he relaxed with a great, long sigh. "Gods. Voids. A perilous journey through the Hall of Echoes. Learning that your destiny is to die. One wonders whether one is awake or dreaming."

Vael stepped up next to him, resting her elbows on the railing. "I want to do anything I can. Everything I can, to keep that from happening. You would make a far better Divine than I would. We both know that."

He managed a half-smile. "Of course I do. You wouldn't know the first thing about being a Divine."

"No, I wouldn't. The most I've ever commanded or lead is..." She looked over him, back over Ifan. "This. You two. I don't have any experience."

He nodded his head just once. "In that case, I think it's high time we return to the order of the day. What do the Gods know, they're half-eaten by the Void anyway." He managed to look a bit like his old self again. "Brahmos the Wanderer told me to meet him in Driftwood, so to Driftwood, we must go. I can only hope it will be a town of opulence and plenitude - despite its rather discouraging name. I could use some time to relax after all of this."

Vael managed a smile herself, nodding her head as he walked off down the deck. She could only imagine that he wanted to be alone for now. Ifan stepped up closer to her, looking between her and the Prince, then let out a quiet little whistle and raised his brows. "Well then."

"Well then indeed..." She breathed a soft sigh and sniffled, then gently wiped her eyes again. "Your friends are here on the Coast, right?"

He nodded his head. "Indeed. And if you noticed, Alexandar is gone. I don't think we've seen the last of him yet." Ifan pulled a knife from his sleeve and ran his thumb over the edge.

"Are you going to want to track him down again? Kill him for good?" Vael leaned back against the railing.

He considered this. "I'm not sure. I still think having him alive might be good, I have questions. About what really happened during the war. And I'm not going to let him die for good until he answers them." He lifted a hand, gesturing out over the expanse of the coast before them. "As far as this Godwoken business, who put the contract out on us... If anyone knows, it'll be Roost, my old pack leader. We should see him."

Vael nodded her assent. "I think... we should try to take care of what the Prince needs done first, if possible. We owe him that much. But we'll find Roost. Don't worry."

He nodded, lifting a hand to clap her on the shoulder as he did. "I know, my friend. I trust you."

He headed off himself, down across the deck. Vael breathed a soft sigh and put her head in her hands again, staring down at the water that lapped against the side of the ship.


	20. The Meistr

Vael headed down along the ship. She'd taken the time to head below, find something to eat, take a few moments to settle herself, but now she imagined that it was high time that they get moving. Ifan had been easy enough to find, carving new bolts for his crossbow out of bolts for the ballista on the ship- they didn't have the crew to man them even if they did come under attack, so they were just going to waste otherwise. She found the Prince standing near the bow, looking out over the sea next to the ship's figurehead. "Are you ready to go?"

He looked back toward her and nodded, just once. "Yes. Brahmos awaits."

Vael gave him a smile, gently nudging his shoulder with a hand. "Yes, yes he does."

They headed off to the little sloop next to the ship, Malady looked as if she'd already gone on ahead, but then again someone who could move the Lady Vengeance to the Hall of Echoes and back probably didn't need a little boat to get to shore. Standing near the ship, however, was someone she didn't expect to see. "Tarquin! You made it."

He placed his hands on the wands at his sides, slung into his belt. "I did indeed. I hadn't realized I was in such... illustrious company when we met before. Most fascinating, the things I've been hearing about you lot."

Vael smirked slightly. "Well, I didn't really know it at the time either. What have you heard?"

"That you're a... how did Malady put it again." He put his hand to his chin. "A _Godwoken _\- yes, that's it. Quite remarkable, if it's true."

"Why does that interest you? I would have thought your studies would be elsewhere."

He grinned. "Come now, you've seen the state of things - a potential savior from all this Voidwoken nonsense would be of interest to everyone with a beating heart... and some without, I would imagine."

She shook her head. "Does this change how you think about us at all?"

He put his hand to his chin once again, taking the three of them in. Vael could see the intelligence twinkling in his stare. Calculating. "Most people are too sentimental to admit that friendship is a transaction. I am not. I'm sure we can _both _be of use to each other."

She raised a brow toward him, then shrugged. "Perhaps, I suppose. Is there something I could 'be of use of' to you about, at the moment?"

He gave her a cryptic grin. "I plan to visit a graveyard. Find me there. We'll see."

Vael pursed her lips at that. She boarded the boat with the others and Tarquin, then slowly rowed themselves to shore. The shore stank terribly of rotting fish and something... worse, far worse, but she wasn't entirely sure what. Tarquin pulled himself free and gestured for the others to go along. "I'll follow behind at my own pace. You are far more equipped to handle what may come your way than I."

Vael looked to the others, then toward the road ahead- such as it was, from here. "I suppose that's true."

The path they wandered down reminded Vael much of the swamp they'd seen before, though covered in far more sand. Wet, rolling hills that all stank just as badly as where they landed. Dead fish practically carpeted some areas, she'd never seen anything like it. As they wandered on, Vael's frills perked. "Did you hear that?"

Ifan lifted his head, tilting it, then nodded. "Someone's screaming."

Vael broke into a run toward the noise, pointing ahead of her. "Voidwoken! And that one has someone!"

A large Voidwoken creature the likes of which she'd never seen before, like nothing so much as a large, winged spider from her nightmares, grabbed a woman wearing a source collar who was trying to fend it off. The woman screamed, the thing clutched her to itself, hissing menacingly as the trio approached. The ground beneath them trembled as more voidwoken, the same insect ones she'd seen before back in the swamps burst from the dirt and sand beneath them. Their path cut off, the voidwoken grabbed the woman up and flew off toward the West, her screams trailing on the wind.

"Gods damnit!" Vael slammed her blade down into one of the Voidwoken who'd gotten too close. "I guess we figured out what that smell was!"

The others shouted their assent and joined the battle, though calling it a 'battle' would be disingenuous. One of the creatures, colored vibrant orange, exploded into flames when one of Ifan's arrows crashed into it, though these flames appeared almost alive, trying to creep their way across the ground toward the group. "Cursed fire!?" Vael was glad the Prince seemed to have some idea of what it was because she didn't have a clue.

Ifan popped the second orange voidwoken just like the first and all Vael and the Prince had to do was clean up the flaming creatures that scurried toward them, already half-dead. Vael used some sand to clean the blood off of her blade afterward before hefting it up onto her shoulder. "Well, that's one way to welcome someone to somewhere new, I suppose..."

"Oh yes, I feel rather welcome indeed," The Prince chimed in. Vael was just glad to see some of his spirits back.

They couldn't head West to see where the woman had been taken, so they continued along the path to the North until it finally turned into a proper road. Even here they found signs of a Voidwoken attack, bodies scattered across the stones. "This is a Magister caravan." The Prince grumbled as he looked over the wreckage. "One like this picked me up."

"A shipment to Fort Joy?" Ifan scanned the wreckage. "They never made it."

Vael perked up as she heard a voice drifting over the wreckage. "Someone's still alive." She followed the sound of a voice to find a Dwarven woman trying to make herself look very small within a bush.

As they approached she drew a small, clean blade up toward them, the thing shaking in her grip. "Back! Get back! I'll kill you, just like the rest of them."

Vael held out her hands before herself, passing her blade back to Ifan to hold. "I'm not going to hurt you." Her eyes scanned the woman's form. "You're in shock. We're here to help."

The Dwarven woman slumped, her blade falling from her fingers. "N-n-n... I've never seen anything like those beasts before. Are they gone?"

"I... think that _everyone _is gone, one way or another." Vael looked around herself, she couldn't see anyone else alive.

The woman's eyes widened and she lost focus like she was seeing a scene play out before her that only she could see. "Those... things. Worst ones I've ever seen. Ripped through the Magisters... the Dwarves... dead dead dead. And the Sourcerers, Sourcerers _gone._"

Vael glanced back to the others. They'd seen one of the Sourcerers get taken away. This couldn't have happened too long ago. "We saw one of the Sourcerers taken away."

"Oh Duna's beard, Lohar. My boss Lohar will want to know what happened to them, but I can't... I can't remember." The woman shook like a leaf despite the relative warmth of the day.

"It's okay. You're safe now." She looked back to the other two, nodding her head, and they followed along, nodding with her. "We can go find Lothar and you can tell him." Vael reached toward her.

The Dwarven woman stumbled away and broke into a run, taking off through the underbrush. She didn't scream, she didn't cry out, she just... vanished into the gloom. Vael breathed out a soft sigh and stood. "Well... if we run into this Lohar, he'll probably want to know what happened here. Come on."

They continued up the path further, past the wreckage, up toward where they could see the town intermittently through the trees. Vael moved to say something toward the others when she noticed a child following them- or more specifically, following Ifan. Vael pulled up short and pointed back, Ifan turned to look at the kid.

He was decidedly scruffy-looking, a little too big for his clothes. "You ben-Mezd?"

Ifan glanced up to the other two, then looked down at the kid. "I am."

"Righto. Got a message for ya." The kid closed his eyes as he remembered. "Chap called Baran Levere who wants to see ya. Black Bull Tavern. Second floor." The kid shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled off, whistling an off-key tune to himself.

"Well." Ifan looked to the other two. "We have time, I'm sure."

Vael nodded toward him, then looked to the Prince. "The best place to find leads for anything else we need to know here will be in Driftwood, so I'd say we have time, we'll be there anyway."

He smiled toward her. "Good."

They continued further up the path, further toward Driftwood, and were about to turn in toward the city past some Magisters when something caught Vael's eye in the distance. At first, she thought it was a trick being played by her mind on her sight, seeing Zorl-Stissa hung from the tree in the Hall, then she realized there were actually lizards being hung up ahead. She growled and rushed forward, ignoring the Magisters to her side entirely as she rushed ahead.

"Vaeltorya, wait-" The Prince called toward her, but she wasn't going to wait, not this time. She'd waited with Atusa before, and she wasn't about to wait with these lizards now.

Vael stormed up toward the gibbet, her hand already on her blade. "What in the blazes is going on here?" She could already feel the anger starting to well up within her, just as it had done before. The two lizards were in Magister uniforms but she didn't care, one was already dead- the other, still alive, hung from her hands, not her neck. Torture. The grip around her blade's hilt tightened even more.

The Magister guardswoman called out toward her. "Step away from the prisoner, reptile!"

"I'm going to set her free. And you're going to look the other way," Vael growled, gritting her teeth. "Or you're going to have a very bad day."

The woman stared confusedly at her. "You're going to ... what now?"

Vael drew her blade back, the woman hardly had time to try to stand before her blade buried itself to the hilt in her gut, warm red splattering across her hands on the hilt. "_I warned you._"

She gasped, her cry stifled and muted by the blade in her gut. Vael withdrew her weapon as the Prince held out his hand toward her but stopped just short of actually doing anything to stop her- not that there was much to stop, at this point. One of those silent creatures stood nearby, but without orders to do anything, it watched the unfolding events passively.

The Dwarven woman held her hands to her middle, staring up at Vael. "But... why..." She slumped slowly to the side and off of her stool, falling to the ground as her blood began to pool beneath her.

Vael wiped her blade clean on the body, then stuck it point-first into the wood. She turned to the lizard woman who hung by her hands and began to pull her free.

The woman's face was blooded, her scales discolored and disturbed, obviously damaged. Her eyes were closed, her breathing heavy, but her tongue flickered as Vael set to work. "Welcome to Driftwood, Godwoken." One bloody eye cracked open, glittering gold appearing from beneath the swollen lid. She looked over the dead guard. "Very well then, there's work to be done."

Vael nodded cutting the restraints free, and she gingerly helped the Magister down to her feet. "I'm sorry for..." She gestured to the other lizard.

The woman didn't react. "God's teeth, it feels good to move again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a house to secure. Meet me at my home in Driftwood. We have much to discuss." She limped off as quickly as she was able, leaving Vael and the others standing on the gibbet with the dead Dwarf.

The light rain did much to cool Vael's burning anger, especially now that the Dwarf who'd created it was gone. The Prince stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You must get a handle on your anger. If there are as many Magisters in Driftwood as appear to be at first glance, we cannot fight off the whole town."

Vael clenched her hands, drawing in a deep breath, then forced herself to slowly relax. "I know. I just... thought of Atusa, and..." She looked back to where the woman had been hanging. "I assume we found our Meistr, by accident."

"Perhaps so."

They headed back down the path, the Magisters guarding the gate apparently hadn't seen what happened, it was over so quickly after all, and didn't give them trouble as they approached. They seemed too engrossed in their own conversation at the moment, anyway, it took them some time to acknowledge that the three of them were even approaching. "Get yourself in check, boy. I won't have you running off like Millsent and Tolly. You'll just end up sliding down some Voidwoken's gross gullet, piece by piece."

The older-looking Magister noticed that they were here, finally, and turned toward him. He wiped his hands down his uniform, but the whole lot was so dirty already that all he did was smear even more dirt onto them. "Halt, scaleskin! What word do you bring."

Vael growled under her breath, but the Prince nudged her in the back with his hand. She glanced back toward him and took another breath. "We bring bad tidings: dead Magisters and Dwarves at a wrecked caravan outside of town."

His face paled and his eyes opened wider.

"The Voidwoken come." A shy-looking Magister, far younger, spoke up.

The older man spoke again. "Hush, Fedor. You may pass, lizard. Dare say you'll be aching to leave before long, anyway. But... before you do, find Reimond, the White Magister. He'll want to know what you've seen."

They waved the group through. "Be quick, he's liable to set sail at any moment."

As they passed through into the Town, Ifan grinned. "Last time I was here, I summoned my wolf, right in the Tavern. All hell broke loose. Good times, goood times."

Vael snorted and glanced toward him. "Let's not do that this time. If all goes well and I can keep hold of myself, I imagine we can get through here without much fuss..." She looked around herself. "Where's the Meistr's-" she paused, her eyes catching the sight of black cloth and scales through a window. "There." She pointed toward the North side of town, closer to the river they'd crossed.

They hurried up the hill toward her home, finding the door unlocked and open when they arrived. The Meistr herself sat slumped in a chair, looking around the room as she worked her shoulder with one hand. Apparently it had been dislocated by the extended period she hung on the gallows. Vael moved closer, intending to help, but was almost blown back by the tirade of insults the woman unleashed.

"Damnable red-cloaked baboons, ransacking my wardrobes! As if I would keep ancient, valuable secrets in a pile with my unmentionables." She took a deep breath and with a twist, a click, and a screech of pain, she shoved her shoulder back into its socket. "I swear by the Seven, if-" She coughed, raising her good arm to her mouth. "If we did not have more important matters to attend to..."

She reached across the table and pulled a bowl of hot water toward herself, fishing bandages, a needle and thread out of a box. She slowly began to attend to her wounds. "At least the barbarians were unable to club their way into my vault, so everything you need should be safe."

Vael stepped closer, though just out of arms' reach. She was starting to get the impression that the woman didn't want their help. "Why did they do that to you?"

"Apparently I had a claw in murdering their darling 'Divine-in-waiting' Alexandar." The Meistr wrenched the bandage, pulling the fabric tight against her wound. She winced before tying it off in a neat knot, but Vael could already see the red stain spreading across the fabric. "Never mind that I was here the entire time - apparently my cunning transcends time, space, and common sense."

Vael glanced awkwardly back toward the others and raised her hand to rub along the back of her neck. Her other hand placed the tip of her blade on her boot, resting it while they spoke. "We might, ah, have a hand in that, actually. But... he's not dead."

The Meistr froze, looking up toward the group. Her claws were mid-swipe, in the middle of cutting a new stretch of bandage. She breathed out a quiet sigh. "Why on earth should I have thought anything else. Not that I was sorry to hear about his 'death', but I doubt my grin helped matters during the interrogation."

Vael looked to the others once more, then decided to press on. "What do we need to do?"

"It is not enough to be Godwoken in order to ascend to Divinity. There is a process." As she spoke, she uncorked a vial of shimmering liquid: Source! She let a couple of drops fall on her hand, but instead of infusing with her body, they quickly evaporated on her scales. She stared at the empty spot on her palm for a long moment before she turned back to the group, continuing as if nothing had happened. "A process by which a Godwoken may ascend. It begins with discovering your deepest self, delving into your own soul."

Vael pursed her lips at the thought, she wondered what she might find out about herself doing such a thing. The others remained silent, she imagined they were thinking along similar lines. "Given your condition, I imagine we should start as quickly as possible. What do we need to do?"

The Meistr smiled, just a fraction. "Enthusiasm? On a weekday? My word." She gestured absently. "We shall begin once we have the tools we need from my vault. You may have been chosen, Godwoken, but becoming Divine requires more than a supernatural pat on the head." She smirked. "Come, Godwoken. It is time to see just how 'awake' you are."

She gestured to a painting across the room. "Fortunately the Magisters pay as much attention to art as they do to fashion. Kindly remove that painting from the wall."

Vael raised a brow, then shrugged her shoulders. She gave it a tug to see how it was secured, then realize it was just hung lightly from a nail. She removed it, setting it to the side. Behind it was a button- assuming that's what she was meant to do in the first place, she just pressed it.

"Your talent for following simple instructions fills me with wonder and pride." The Meistr seemed far too happy to have Godwoken to order around in Vael's opinion.

"Okay, okay. That's... not strictly necessary." Across the room, the woman's bed folded up against the wall. Vael walked closer, peering at the hatch that it revealed curiously.

"Now, kindly go to the vault and enter the combination. I shall call it out as you go."

"Easy enough." Vael crouched down and waited, then as the Meistr called out the combination, Vael input it as simple as that. The door popped open when the sequence was complete.

"Excellent! Follow me, your time is at hand, Godwoken." The Meister stood and limped across the room. Vael stood aside, she figured it was only proper to let the woman enter first, after all.

When Siva disappeared down the hatch, she glanced toward the others. "She's a character, that one."

A quiet 'I heard that' echoed up from below.


	21. The Road To Hell

Vael's frills pulled up against her head at the words from below and she breathed a nervous laugh. "Whoops." She looked down the ladder, then hopped down, the others following soon after. The room wasn't quite what she expected, more than a 'vault' it looked like a stone basement. Though she supposed if one stretched the definition... She hurried forward and down the steps, following after Meistr Siva.

She pulled herself up short as she actually arrived down into the vault itself, however, staring around herself at the myriad things scattered here and there. There were things that looked to be actual, active eternal artifacts, a massive jug of the Source liquid that Siva had shown them earlier, as well as bits and pieces and items of all descriptions, arcane and not. Runes, contraptions, Vael could get lost down here for hours.

The Prince seemed similarly smitten, his eyes looking over everything just as Vael had. "It's an arcanist's dream."

The Meistr sat quietly in a new chair, examining her wounds. Prodding at this, wincing at that. Her face seemed grim as she finally turned to the group. "Do you know what it means to have the power of the Divine, Godwoken?"

Vael was caught off guard at that. "I... don't. I would..." She considered. "Assume that it would be a massive responsibility. All those people looking to you for help, for answers, leadership, worship..."

Siva seemed impressed by the answer. "Just so. To accept Divinity is to accept responsibility for the lives of every person and beast that walks Rivellon. If granted Divinity, you would have the power of all seven gods at your disposal. You could heal any wound - pull islands from the sea - right any injustice." She lifted a finger. "But make no mistake, the Divine only has one duty: to protect this world from the Void." Siva looked over the three of them. "The Divine cannot use their power for anything else."

The Prince looked toward her, a claw raised. "Surely you can use _some _power for yourself."

Her head snapped to him so quickly Vael was worried the Meistr's neck would break. "When you become the Divine there _is _no more self." Her hard gaze softened, then she looked over the three of them once more. "It is no small thing to ask. But it is your duty. Without a new Divine, Rivellon will die."

Vael looked to the others, then to the Prince, especially. She nodded toward him, knowing this, it was more important than ever that she help him to escape whatever fate Zorl-Stissa had seen for him. He would make a far better Divine than she. She turned her head back to Siva. "I understand."

"Very well then. Let's see if we can't snatch Divinity from the jaws of the Void. The ritual itself is quite simple: drop some blackroot in the bowl, mix in a little blood, set the concoction aflame, and then inhale the smoke." She gestured with her hand. "Ignore any feelings of dizziness, burning in your lungs, or a dire sense of existential dread. They are all perfectly normal, although you will need to sacrifice a little Source along the way." She gestured around the room as she continued. "Everything you need is here: ingredients in the cupboard, Source in the glowing fountain, the ritual in the tome by the bookcase - even an incinerator to provide a flame." The Meistr turned back to her wounds, curiously prodding them as fresh blood oozed out, staining her claws.

Vael winced just to look at her. "Surely there's something we can do to help you. Those look pretty bad."

"Quite." She looked up toward the three. "Mind you, being torn asunder by a Voidwoken would be even more inconvenient, so if you wouldn't mind..." She pointed sharply to the ingredients cupboard.

Vael sighed softly. "Alright. We'll get started right away."

The woman spoke up again. "And do not lose anything! These ingredients are rare indeed. I am not hiking back out to the Cloisterwood to fetch you more blackroot."

Vael nodded, then headed for the indicated cupboard. The Prince began to look around the study while she did, examining the various artifacts, asking questions of the Meistr - who, when she answered at all, did so with as few words as possible. She crouched down next to the thing, looking through for the proper materials.

Ifan crouched at her side, his voice low. "What do you make of all this Divine business?"

Vael glanced toward him with a quiet sigh, then hung her head. "I don't know. The Prince makes the best choice, in my opinion." She whispered back to him, not wanting the Meistr to overhear, thankfully she seemed thoroughly distracted by her injuries and the Prince's questions. "I... I'm just a soldier. A nobody. I'm not cut out for this."

He nodded his head, just once. "I agree, to a degree. I would step in were there no other choice, but-" He glanced toward the Prince. "Far better someone with experience takes the position."

Vael breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Thank the Gods you agree. If we can keep him safe, we might just get through this yet." Vael reached into the cabinet at least, pulling free the things she thought she'd need, a bowl that looked appropriately 'arcane', a large knife that looked to be the sort you'd see in arcane rituals, and the last sprig of what was helpfully labeled 'Blackroot' from a jar. She held it up to Ifan. "Only enough for one... I suppose we'll have to share."

He grunted, then they moved over toward what looked to be the incinerator, a large soot-blackened grate with a lever nearby. Vael caught the Prince's eye and waved him over. "We have everything, we just need a little blood-"

The Prince smiled and took the knife from her, pricking himself in the arm with practiced ease. "Allow me." He let the blood coat the blade, then handed it back to Vael. "If we need the best chance of success, we should use the best."

Vael couldn't help but smile at him.

"By the way, I picked up this book. It explains how to properly mix everything." He ignored the wound on his arm and opened the book to the proper page.

Following the instructions, Vael prepared the bowl they'd need, they were quite simple to follow. Put the blackroot in the bowl, drip the blood from the lancet onto the root, set the bowl aflame. "Do we all feel sufficiently 'Sourced'?"

When the other two nodded, Vael breathed a quiet sigh. "Well, here goes nothing." She gingerly placed the bowl on the ground, then reached for the lever nearby. She gave it a quick turn, just to see, but that quick turn provided a more-than-sufficient blast of flame. She jumped and quickly shut it off, earning a laugh from the other two. She huffed under her breath. "Yeah, yeah, very funny."

Within moments the mixture in the bowl began to smoke, but unlike smoke she might expect to see, instead this shimmered with inner Source. She looked to the other two, and in unison, they leaned forward, breathing in. As soon as Vael breathed in, her vision began to swim. She felt herself starting to drift away, her head beginning to pound in a way that reminded her of the Merryweather when she'd woken up with the back of her head aching. She held the fumes in her lungs, ignoring the instinct to cough, and the world fell away.

She supposed she should start getting used to waking up on her back in a place like this, but as she pushed herself to her feet, she was surprised to find that her 'soul', supposedly, looked quite a lot like the Hall of Echoes. And unlike the other times she'd been here, there were no others. No Prince, no Ifan. She supposed it made sense if this really was her soul, but it still unsettled her to be so _alone._

Vael walked slowly ahead, across another self-assembling bridge, following the only path there was to take. Up ahead she could see someone, maybe the Prince, as they had a tail, waiting for her to approach. Maybe he'd already finished talking to Zorl-Stissa, time did seem to flow differently in these places after all, and she'd find that all she'd have to do was help him on his own path...

When she approached the figure, however, she soon found it to be a perfect mirror of herself. Down to the color of her scales, the set of her frills, the small scar on her cheek from when she'd fallen on a particularly sharp rock as a child. She stopped barely a pace away from her mirror-self, looking at it curiously. "This is not at all what I expected to find. It's just... me."

Her mirror-self began to speak, but her voice was weak and quiet, a feeble echo of her own. "My chosen! Come... come closer... so that you may see me... as I truly am..."

Vael began to understand who it was she was actually looking at. But why assume this form...? She stepped closer, as bidden, a brow raised.

"Look me... in the eyes..." Vael's mirror-self clasped her face in her shaking hands. She suddenly felt her eyes tingle, everything became brighter, sharper; blacks and whites became glorious bursts of color, then faded slowly back into their accustomed spectrum. As Vael pulled herself away, blinking furiously, her mirror-self spoke again. "Blind eyes... shine brightly..." She gestured toward Vael. "Speak the spell... and see..."

Vael began to question what 'spell' she was supposed to speak, then the knowledge flooded in and she felt herself still, nodding slowly. "Blind eyes shine brightly...", she muttered, and she felt the change immediately. Colors sharpened and brightened once again, and standing before her was not herself... but Zorl-Stissa, as she had expected.

Zorl-Stissa watched Vael as she blinked several times to clear the odd tingling from her eyes, her expression a mix of both approval and disappointment, but Vael could not deny that despite that she looked just as radiant as before. Perhaps a little less _bright _but that was to be expected if the Gods were supposedly being drained by the Void... Zorl-Stissa's voice was no less strong or stern than it had been before, however, as she began to speak. "You know me, don't you? I saved you from drowning... I blessed you, made you powerful... and now I've come to see some power in return."

"Of course I know who you are." Vael couldn't help but feel somewhat defensive; as if she could have forgotten the woman standing before her, as beautiful as she was.

"Your Godwoken soul is my last refuge, my last bastion... May as well make the best of what you have to offer." She lifted her head, breathed in, deeply, but it wasn't just a breath she was drawing in. Vael could feel it, deep down, something _leaving _her as Zorl-Stissa nourished herself from the Source that surrounded her, especially here. "Ah, yes, just what I needed! I tell you: dying just doesn't become a God."

Vael had so many questions, needed so many answers, but she had to admit that learning that Zorl-Stissa was dying took precedent. "Dying? What's happening? I thought we helped you away from the tree."

For the first time since Vael had first seen her, Zorl-Stissa actually looked worried. "The Void itself is hunting down the Gods, leeching us in ways we never thought possible. Droplet by droplet we are being drained." She shook her head. "We're battling for our very survival. It's a battle we're losing, and should we truly lose, _ALL _will be cast into oblivion."

For all her faults, her manipulation, Vael knew that Zorl-Stissa's death would be disastrous. Her people worshipped her, depended on her, even if the Prince became Divine, took their power, he couldn't be everywhere like a God could... could he? No, the Meistr had said it herself, he would have to turn his full attention to holding back the Void. Her people needed Zorl-Stissa... but she needed answers. "I will agree to save you... but I want answers."

"To save us _both_, as a matter of fact." Zorl-Stissa almost looked... smug. "You must realize that our fates are now as one, just as our souls are now as one. _We _are I."

Vael's mouth fell open. That's what she'd felt, deep down, that's why Zorl-Stissa had been here all along, in the guise of her mirror-self. "How long? How long has it been since you've done this?"

"The isle, when we first met. When I sang my song to you." The Goddess nodded her head, just once.

Vael looked to the ground, her mind racing. That's why she'd felt so... so warm, so comforted. Zorl-Stissa hadn't been trying to control her, she'd been _moving in_. She supposed coming now and letting her... "And what you just did, you weren't feeding, you were-"

The Goddess nodded once more. "Now you understand. Why it must be you."

"But the Prince, he-" Vael gestured back the way she'd come, but Zorl-Stissa cut her off.

"It cannot be the Prince. He has his own destiny to fulfill. His soul is already bound to another. His Princess." Zorl-Stissa's form changed, for a fraction of a moment, to the red lizard that Vael had seen before. "There is no more room within it for me."

Vael's face fell, her plans to help the Prince, to help him become Divine, to let him lead their people, all falling away. Had been invalid since the first moment she'd been given an inkling of what her fate would be. "But... he thinks-"

Zorl-Stissa reached out, her hand, caressing Vael's cheek. "Let him."

She pulled away, her expression darkening, batting aside the Goddess' hand. "I can't. I won't! I won't let my friend-"

"You cannot have any friends!" Zorl-Stissa's face contorted in anger as her voice dropped to that of a stern, scolding mother. "He is the _competition. _He and the Human you travel with. He has his part to play. Your Human friend, Ifan, he has his part to play. In the end, however, there can be only one Divine. It _must. be. you._" Zorl-Stissa reached forward, jabbing Vael in the center of her armored chest. "It cannot be any other way."

"Can't it?" Vael felt like she was going to cry, tears of anger, frustration, disappointment, _fear _welling up inside of her. "There has to be another way. There must." She put her head in her hands. "I can't do this."

Zorl-Stissa's expression softened, her hand reaching forward to lift Vael's chin. "You must." Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. "For our people, for the world. You must."

"But the Prince..." Vael looked down again. "I promised to help him."

"And you will." Zorl-Stissa nodded. "You will get him to where he needs to be. You will let him do what must be done."

"And what is that? You seem so sure." Anger flared up within Vael again. "How can you be so certain?"

"Because what is, is. What must be, must be. It cannot be any other way." The Goddess' tone reminded Vael of nothing so much as her mother's, explaining simple truths about the way the world worked. "He will become the Father of Dragons. The True Spouse of the Sun. And then his sun will set." Zorl-Stissa looked away for a moment, seeing something that Vael couldn't.

She looked up, realizing that she must be talking to him right now, just like Vael was. Like Ifan likely was to Rhalic. "What are you telling him?"

Zorl-Stissa looked up to Vael with a sad expression. "What he needs to hear. I had intended to let him believe what he wanted, but you have forced my hand. He knows."

Vael's jaw set as she nodded her head. "At least you have given him that. What of the other gods? What of Ifan, and Rhalic?"

"Those without Godwoken will die. One way or another, their time on Rivellon is over. They have no soul to seek refuge within, as I have done, as Rhalic will have done. Theirs will be a slow death, one you have saved me from. But the future is clouded beyond a certain point, even for us. I can see no further than-" Zorl-Stissa paused.

"Than what? See further than what?" Vael stood tall, watching her Goddess.

"A point in the future that is rapidly approaching." She looked up toward Vael, and for a split second, she thought she could see something darker in the Goddess' eyes, a _hatred_ that seemed single-minded. "A turning point. A bridge that we will pass when we reach it."

Vael took in a long, deep breath, then let out a slow, deliberate sigh. "So what now?"

"You return to your world. You seek more Source. Together we are a force to be reckoned with, but if we seek to survive the onslaught of the Void, we stand no chance unless we become _vastly _more powerful than we are now." Zorl-Stissa spun a claw in the air, summoning a small, glimmering model of an island. "That means there is but one place we can go: the Well of Ascension."

Vael recognized that name. "The Well of Ascension is said to be where Lucian himself rose. The birthplace of the Gods."

Zorl-Stissa nodded. "It most certainly _will _be. The Well of Ascension is a lake: a pool of pure Source in which the powers of the Seven lie united. We gave them up freely to create the first Divine. Each of us donated half of that which makes us Gods. To bath in the lake, is to become our chosen." She pointed to the island she'd created with her claw. "_That _is where the road to divinity leads. And you must be the first to reach it, at all costs."

"I had heard, read rumors, but... I cannot believe the Seven gave away half of their strength. Just like that." Vael looked to her incredulously.

"It was a time of selflessness and sacrifice in the face of our old enemy. It was an act of heroism, and a dreadful mistake to boot - which we must rectify." She tilted her head as Vael muttered. "What was that?"

Vael looked up. "The road to hell is paved with the good intentions of the righteous man."

The Goddess paused, then soon continued. "The Void is stronger than ever. A new Divine won't be enough. You need to go to the Well of Ascension not to bathe in the Source of the Seven, but to _take _it. All of it."

Vael frowned at that. "But... There would be none left for another if I did. Another Divine. If Lucian fell, so could I, shouldn't we leave behind-"

Zorl-Stissa silenced her with a hand. "Only she who _claims _everything will _be _everything. The Void's doom; this world's liberator."

Vael looked down, frowning. "And the other members of the Seven..."

"They will either bow to you or be undone." Zorl-Stissa paused, once more, Vael imagined she realized that she, too, would bow or be undone, just like the others, if what she wanted came to pass. Vael wondered what the Goddess thought of that. She seemed to brush the thought aside as she looked to her Godwoken. "But of course that is what Rhalic is saying to his own Godwoken as we speak. We both know that he won't bow, just like we both know _you _will never bow to _him._"

Vael nodded, _that _she could agree with. To Ifan, maybe, if it came to that... but the only God she'd bow her head in reference to would be her own, and even then she wasn't feeling particularly 'worshipful' as it stood. "It doesn't bother you, at all, that I hardly prayed or showed deference to you before this?"

Zorl-Stissa considered this for longer than Vael thought she might. "I think not. One who showed too much deference would never do what needs to be done. A pawn, instead of a Champion. One who showed too little wouldn't care enough to do what is necessary... or may even do too much." She gestured to herself with the tiniest, fraction of a hint of a smile. "A little deference might go a long way, however..."

Vael shook her head. "Maybe if I'm feeling particularly charitable at some point in the future."

Zorl-Stissa's eyes narrowed at this, then she continued from before. "Regardless, only one can become a god strong enough to safeguard our world. _One _\- at the expense of all others." She waved one raised claw at Vael. "So make no mistake, my Champion: chances are the road to divinity will be paved with dead Gods, their blood on your murderous hands." She lowered her hand. "But don't let that dismay you, for these sins will be washed clean by the knowledge you committed them to save all of existence. To save your kin, and your loved ones, and the world they live in."

Vael set her jaw once more. She never would have imagined the road to something so... quite literally, Divine, would be paved so thoroughly in murder and the bones of the fallen. Maybe the idyllic worldview of who and what a Divine was, was wrong. She wondered who Lucian had stepped on in his quest, in his own time... She looked up to Zorl-Stissa, then breathed a quiet sigh. She felt as if she would come to regret what she was about to say. "Fine. I'm convinced. We do it your way. The world doesn't need a perfect Divine. It just needs _a _Divine..." She looked down at her hands, flexed her claws. "It's just like being a soldier, in a way... Another war, another battle, to fight." She looked up at Zorl-Stissa. "But if we do this, we do it my way. You need me more than I need you, as it stands."

The Goddess considered this, her face impassive for quite some time, then she nodded. "I promise that should you follow this path, yours alone will be the powers of the lake, yours alone will be the decisions of what to do with what you will be granted, to the lake I will lead you... but not yet. Not until you've become a true Master of the Source: until you speak the language of creation itself." She clasped her hands before herself, much like she had been when Vael had first seen her, her tail coiled around her feet. "Our journey will be fraught with peril: it is a pilgrimage of challenges that will require you to command Source as only a Godwoken can, and wield its most powerful spells."

Vael smirked slightly. "A pilgrimage. Given the end goal of it all, I can't help but see the irony of it."

For the first time since Vael had met her, Zorl-Stissa laughed. Deep and rolling, echoing off the stone walls of the Halls. The laughter lasted for quite some time and was infectious. It was only through great effort that Vael kept herself still and quiet, but even she had to hold her hand over her mouth for a moment. "Perhaps. Perhaps... But what is a pilgrimage after all, if not a journey of atonement in search of enlightenment?"

"My worry is that I will need atonement _after _the journey is complete, not before." Vael looked down toward the ground again, her thoughts weighing her down.

Zorl-Stissa's hand found Vael's chin once more. "Focus not on death and irony, my chosen: on life and ascension instead." She released Vael, stepping back. "_We _are I now. The spells you need to know I will teach you when you are ready, but first, you must learn to channel the Source in greater volumes. That is why you need to seek Masters of the Source. You must make them teach you, so that you may become a Master in turn."

Zorl-Stissa steepled her hands once more. "So return to Rivellon and seek out these sages where they dwell. Convince them to share with you their deep-seated bone with the Source. Once you have, you must return to me here."

Vael considered for some time. "I would have thought you were a Master of the Source yourself? Shouldn't, couldn't, I just learn from you instead?"

"And so much more! But I'm no longer who I once was, bound to you as I've become." Zorl-Stissa seemed almost... despondent at this, to lose so much of who she was. "I will teach you what I can, but the knowledge that will expand the bounds of your soul? That you'll have to hunt for yourself."

Vael nodded, then made to step away from her Goddess, to return to Rivellon. She'd been here so long that she wondered just how much time would have passed. Was introspective soul-sharing with a God timeless? Would she return and find it to have been hours? Days? She didn't know. She tilted her head, looking toward Zorl-Stissa. "What do I say to him? The Prince?"

"Tell him that you will help him meet his destiny. Tell him the truth." She dipped her head once. "Be a friend to him, as you have done."

Vael frowned, looking the woman over. "You said I cannot have friends."

A smirk coiled at the Goddess' lips. "And you won't, by the time this is over."

Vael wanted to ask what she meant by that, but the Halls around her began to tilt and swirl. She felt herself rising, a curious feeling considering how often she'd felt herself falling, recently. Then, once more, solid ground beneath her feet. She heard the crackle of flame, the pained sounds the Meistr made when she breathed- and coughing.

She realized that the coughing was coming from herself and the others, they all appeared to have arrived back at the same exact time. Vael stepped away from the cloud of smoke, breathing out glowing, silvered fumes with every breath. She managed to catch the Meistr's eye, holding up a finger for the woman to give her but a moment to breathe and catch her breath.

"Still alive? Gods above, there might be something to you after all." Siva seemed truly surprised.

"Funny you should say that," Vael managed to choke, pounding her chest with a hand.

"Whatever do you mean?" Siva tilted her head to the side.

"Nevermind." Vael waved a hand, sputtering as she finally drew a decent breath. She found herself at Siva's table, breathing out a last few shimmering fumes.

Siva leaned in, her bloody tongue flickering hungrily about Vael's face. "Tell me, what did you see? What to know?"

Vael looked to the others, to Ifan, who seemed ... almost sad, but resolute, to the Prince... Her Prince, who seemed so sad and happy at the same time, his eyes watering slightly and yet he looked as if he was about to break into song. She looked at Siva. "It's a long story."


	22. Lohar

Vael explained as quickly as she could manage, still hacking up wisps of smoke, but the Meistr still sighed impatiently through it all. 

"You can't channel enough Source? Gods be damned, why couldn't you have a nice, simple problem?" The Meistr held a hand to her forehead. "Finding an orc to dance the hornpipe, perhaps?"

Vael chuckled around a wheeze of breath. "I could always go look if that's what you really want-" She coughed. "Do you know what we need to do next?"

"I know _exactly _what must be done! You must find a Master of Source. And I could have helped you once, but no longer." She looked down at her own hands. "The purging which the Magisters included as part of their 'service' was quite... efficient. They stripped me of my Source. Not enough to silence me, but enough that I would not turn their insides to lime. Enough to sever my link to the font from which all Source flows. And certainly enough that I cannot train you." She looked up to the three of them. "So we must seek alternatives... Alas, the only Source Masters not yet hauled off to Fort Joy or turned into meat puppets are those too dangerous or cunning for the Magisters to contain. Sourcerers that allowed their power to corrupt them. Many are wicked, cruel, vile, and generally not good teacher material, but we may have no others to turn to."

Vael frowned, she remembered what Zorl-Stissa had said, that she would have to do whatever it takes. She considered for a long moment, then nodded, looking to Siva, her gaze resolute. "Whatever must be done."

"Just so. Some of these are quite dark, twisted individuals. The kinds of creatures that grew bored pulling the legs from spiders and so moved on to people." Siva shuddered. "However, it is the path we walk. No-" She coughed. "No matter what the cost. No matter-" She wheezed and trembled. "What is asked of you-" She doubled over in a violent coughing fit, struggling for breath. After a few moments she regains her composure, wiping a thin smear of blood from the corner of her mouth.

Vael moved closer to try to help, to do _anything _for the obviously-pained woman, but she was held back with an outstretched hand. She looked to Ifan, wondering if there was anything he could do. He shook his head, expression set. Vael knew then, that their time was limited, Siva didn't have long left.

"No matter what is asked of you, you _must _learn from them." She dabbed her lips with a piece of cloth from the table before her.

"You don't seem well at all, surely we can-" Vael couldn't help herself, seeing her in pain like this.

"You do not seem to be paying attention." Siva smacked her fist against the table. "Sourcerers. Evil. Controlling your Source. Saving Rivellon. Please, please tell me at least some of this rings a bell." She smacked her fist against the table again. "Your focus, your _only _focus, must be on finding these Masters. On finding the secrets to Divinity. Nothing else matters."

Vael nodded, holding her hands out appeasingly. "Okay. Okay. Don't strain yourself, please. Where can we find them?"

"The Magisters have kept ledgers with all known Sourcerers. Especially the powerful ones not yet captured. They would be an invaluable resource." She waggled a finger at them. "But do be careful not to get caught. I was their guest for a time, and I promise you, the gallows was the most comfortable part of the experience. And if their barracks turns out to be as empty as their skulls, just try to keep an ear to the ground. There may still be powerful Sourcerers hiding in these lands."

As she spoke, one of her wounds reopened, a dark red stain spreading across her tunic. She hissed in frustration and started to bind the gash. "I wish there was more I could do, but in this condition, I would be more a hindrance than a boon. Godspeed, and remember- do _whatever _it takes."

Vael nodded her head, stepping away from the table as she looked to the others, then back to Siva. "We'll be back as soon as possible."

She started to turn away to head back up the stairs and out of the 'vault', then very nearly tripped over her own claws as she realized a glowing spirit stood within the Meistr's basement. An elven woman, staring at Vael forlornly. She quickly looked to the others and pointed the woman out, both of them started in turn when they realized she was there. Vael put a finger to her lips and pointed toward the ladder, wanting to get out before Siva accused them of wasting time.

"You saw her, right?" Vael asked the others once they were back upstairs and the vault door closed.

"I did." Ifan looked to the Prince.

He nodded his head in turn.

Vael reached out for him, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. "I know. She... she told me everything."

Ifan crossed his arms as he looked at the two. "Told you what?" Vael could tell Rhalic had told him similarly, that they were 'competition', they'd turn on him or he'd turn on them.

Vael stepped toward him. "The Prince..." She looked back toward her red-scaled friend, who headed outside. "The Prince... has another destiny to meet. One that you and I do not share."

Ifan's arms slowly uncrossed as she spoke, looking between her and where the Prince had gone. "What do you mean?"

Vael bit her lip, turning away from him. "His time with us is limited."

Ifan seemed incredulous. "What do you mean? He's going to die? When?"

"I don't know." Vael gently wiped at one of her eyes. She swore to herself that a bit of dust had just flown into them. Both of them, at the same time. "It's just... you and I."

Ifan set his jaw as she considered what he'd learned. "I'm assuming you were told similar to what I was. Save the world, well of ascension, gods dying. Right?"

Vael nodded her head. "Just about."

He took in a breath, crossing his arms over his chest. "Way I see it, we have bigger problems. And a ways to go yet." He glanced up to Vael. "We'll cross the bridge when we come to it, yeah?"

Vael breathed a quiet sigh. "Yes. Nothing's set in stone." She gave him an appreciative, relieved look. "I would rather it be you than this come between us, to be honest. But I feel like neither of us wants this."

Ifan remained silent, then shook his head before he finally spoke. "No." He moved off to follow the Prince, something Vael copied moments later.

They found him standing outside, his arms crossed and his tail swaying behind himself. Vael walked up to stand beside him, noting that his eyes were closed and he seemed to just be... listening. Soaking in the sun and the sounds and the feeling of it all. "Do you know where to look for Brahmos?"

The Prince remained as he was a few moments more, then uncrossed his arms and opened his eyes. "Yes. Beneath Driftwood."

Vael nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. "Take us to him."

As they walked along, Vael looked to the others. "I'd say we should take care of what needs to be taken care of here in Driftwood first. Then we should head West."

"Why West?" Ifan glanced back toward her as they walked. "My pack is to the North and East."

"We need more Blackroot, no matter what else happens. That sprig was the last that the Meistr had. She said we could find it in the Cloisterwood, which is West of town." Vael gestured idly with a claw.

"Good point."

The Prince led them to the tavern, then toward the back. "Keep your eyes peeled while we're down there. Brahmos the Wanderer said he'd be here, and I was... told that I'd find my next step here."

"Don't forget my man upstairs," Ifan added.

Vael nodded and looked to him with a smile. "Next stop, promise."

They found a stairwell down into the Undertavern in the back, Vael'd heard of it on her journey to Driftwood the first time but had never gotten a chance to go down. A stocky, well-equipped Dwarf stopped them with a stretched-out hand. "Hold it. Papa no know? You no go."

Vael looked to the others, then back to the Dwarf. "We're looking for Lohar. And other business."

The Dwarf grinned unpleasantly. "Lohar didn't tell me to let anyone of your description in. So why should I?"

Vael considered for a few moments, then pulled her coin purse from beneath her belt. "Because... we have money?"

The Dwarf scowled. "You can't buy my friendship." Vael was about to protest when he continued. "But you can buy ten seconds of my eyeballs examining the ground for... oh, let's say, a small fortune. You look like you'd be good for it." He held up five fingers and then made an '0' with his other hand.

Vael scowled at him for that, then sighed and counted out the coins. "These better be the longest ten seconds of my life."

The Dwarf pocketed the coins, then stared rather dramatically at the ground a few inches to the left of Vael's foot. 

She rolled her eyes and sighed, then waved the others onward down into the undertavern. The hustle and bustle and clatter and noise of the tavern fell away as they ventured lower, down a rough-cut tunnel into a large, open, smoke-filled space. A dwarven woman at a counter tried to sell them something else to smoke, but Vael waved her off with a hand. "I've had quite enough hallucinogenics, for now, thanks."

Vael stopped just past the Dwarven woman and turned to look at the Prince. "Anyone who stands out?"

He scanned the area, then nodded and pointed. "Yes. There. He has a look about him."

They stepped closer to the lizard that the Prince pointed out, and the lizard looked up to Vael as she approached. "My good lady! I see that you accompany no other than His Royal Majesty, the Red Prince! I have a message for him of quite _vital _importance. If you'd be so kind..."

Vael gestured for the Prince to step forward. 

"Of course she'll be so kind." Vael couldn't help but feel as if his tone was a little snippy, but she couldn't really fault him for it either. "Speak freely, kinsman!"

"Directions, milord! I was bid to send you to none other than Brahmos the Wanderer."

Vael looked to the Prince. "Well, it's not Brahmos himself, but it's a step in the right direction."

"He was waiting for you here, my prince, but... but..." He looked around the hazy room with dim eyes. "The _House of Shadows _stirs! The honorable Brahmos sensed them closing in. He had no choice but to flee from Driftwood." The lizard continued. "A little ways East he went, in search of safety, to an encampment of Paladins. You will find him there, Majesty. And with that, I have told my tale."

Vael looked to the Prince again. "The House of Shadows? What does he mean?"

He lifted a hand. "We will follow your directions. You have my thanks, kinsman." The Prince stepped closer to Vael, muttering under his breath as he did. "The House of Shadows stirs..."

"I've never heard of such a House." Vael shook her head. "Are they real?"

He nodded. "I have been dogged by assassins my whole life. The phrase is ominous, it's as if I can feel the onset of night."

Vael pursed her lips. "We'll keep the fire of your sun burning as long as we can, my Prince. You must remain defiant, the end hasn't come yet."

"Quite. But you must realize that until a short while ago, the very existence of the House of Shadows was a mystery to us. If this thing of darkness steps into the light, it must be desperate - and desperate means dangerous." He clasped his hands together in front of himself.

"Indeed. But we'll protect you, won't we Ifan." She glanced toward him.

The shorter man gave the Prince a grim smile. "To the last."

The Prince looked between the two of them, a smile tugging at his scaled lips. "To the last." He gestured with a hand. "Onward then. Let them strike, we shall face them together."

They continued on toward Lohar, asking directions from a Dwarf carrying an empty platter, who pointed them deeper within the complex. They passed down a deeper hall, up a wooden staircase to a door with a Dwarf standing guard outside. "This looks about the right place to me", Vael muttered back toward the others.

As they approached, the Dwarf held out a hand toward them. "Whaddya want? Boss is _busy_."

Vael could hear someone inside speaking to or about someone named 'Marla', though the name didn't ring a bell. "We're here on business. Something to report to him."

To Vael's surprise, that got him to relent. "Good. Boss could use some good news. Listen up: Don't waste his time. These are... explosive times. Be _respectful._" 

A raised eyebrow greeted the Dwarf's words, but Vael nodded all the same. "Like meeting the Divine himself, promise."

They passed through the doorway to find four Dwarves within the room. One, bound and bleeding on the floor, two standing to either side of her, looking like they'd been doing the beating, and another covered in a strange fur hat standing further away next to a well-lit table. She imagined he was probably the leader, even if only because of his headgear.

He spoke as they entered, confirming what Vael thought. "I brought you up from girl to woman, Marla. Like you was my own. This..." He lifted his right arm, showing a white bandage beneath his ribs. A wet, red spot showing through. "This ain't the thanks I expected. Who sent you?"

The woman on the ground just laughed in response, a high-pitched cackle. Vael knew he wasn't likely to get anything out of her, she was gone.

The formidable Dwarf slammed his first on the side table. It cracked under the blow, resting askew. "Enough! D'y'know they killed Anhar? Do ya? Start talking sense, or I'll take that tongue right outta your mouth and fry it for supper."

Vael wanted to wait, to see what was going on and why, but her thoughts strayed to the Meistr. If they delayed too long, she may not live long enough to give them guidance. "What's going on?"

The Dwarf glanced to her, then gestured to the bleeding Dwarf. "Bant. Cade. Get her to talk, or bleed her out. She ain't one o' mine anymore." His sneer traveled from the restrained Dwarf to the group standing at the door. "And _you. _You better have a damn good reason for coming here." As Vael nodded and stepped closer, the Dwarf spoke again. "Brave lass, waltzing in here now. I hope for your sake you've got good news for me."

Vael stood straighter, adjusting the grip on the blade she carried over her shoulder. She tried her best to look aloof and casual, but she had no idea how well it was working. "I might, depending on what you're interested in. But there are things I want to know, too."

"You came into my house, bub. Not the other way around." He winced and held a hand to the bandage on his side. The large, red spot in the center had grown larger and wetter.

"How'd you get that?" Vael pointed to the bandage, then the woman on the floor. "Her?"

"Family dispute." He tilted his head toward the Dwarf on the ground. "Lucky for me, she caught an old wound. Scar slowed down the knife." He looked up toward her, then the others, a smirk playing at his lips. "So: How'd you make it out of Fort Joy?"

Vael glanced back to the others, then to him. "How do you know about that? I thought we managed to get out without making much of a fuss. At first, anyway..."

"I've got people. They've got people. People talk. The Magisters never shut up long enough to listen. But me?" He gestured to himself with his good hand. "I love a good story. Here's one I heard lately: A group of strangers landed on the beaches outside town. Meistr Siva's people. You one of her little Seekers? Chasing down Godwoken and beggin' 'em to save us all?"

Vael couldn't help but grin down at him. "Godwoken? You're looking at three of them. You can start begging at any time." She tried to shift her tone enough so that it was clear she was joking with him, she wanted to build a rapport, not get tossed out or attacked.

He raised a brow higher. "That so?" He leaned back and narrowed his eyes, looking the three of them up and down. "You know, the Order's been goin' on about Godwoken for an aeon now. Voidwoken still lurkin' though, and they're still haulin' folks off to the Joy. So if you are who you say you are... what's the point of you?"

She shrugged her shoulder casually, armor and weapon shifting with a creak of metal-on-metal. "We might just be able to stop all this - the Voidwoken, Fort Joy - but not yet. We need information first." She pointed toward him with a free hand. "Information you might be able to give us." She'd come here to tell him about the dwarf, but if he could help them out... Well, it might just mean they could skip a trip to the Magister barracks. 

"Ah. I should've guessed. And it just so happens I can help you. Depending on what you can do for me." Vael felt like they were finally getting somewhere.

"What do you have in mind? You've got three of us." She gestured with a hand toward Ifan and the Prince.

He pointed at the bandage across his side. "Had a bit of family trouble lately. My girl Marla got it in her head to come after me with a shortblade." He shook his head. "That ain't like Marla. Ain't like her to pull the silent treatment, either. Something's going on." He pointed to a dagger settled on the table he'd cracked. "And wouldn't you know it, that blade she used wasn't any normal bit of steel. Belonged to another of my people. Guy's name is Mordus. Bit of a loner, but smart as hell."

He looked to Marla, then back to Vael. "I sent a few guys to go check on him, see if he knew what'd gotten into Marla, but no-one can find him. I'd like a word with the guy."

Vael glanced to the others, then nodded. "That sounds reasonable enough. Any leads?"

"Glad you see it that way." He nodded to the question. "No-one's seen him in a good few. I've got some people checking out his house near the tavern now, though. Tell 'em I sent you and they'll let you know what they've found. Truth is, they might be glad to see you. Reckon a Sourcerer will have better luck finding one of their own."

Vael glanced meaningfully back toward the others. _Sourcerer. _She looked to Lohar and nodded once. "On it."

"Good." He looked to the three of them. "One more thing. Like I said, Mordus is a Sourcerer. Maybe even one of the ones Siva's after. If there's something you want to find out from him... you might want to ask _before _I have my word with him." He lifted the blade he'd been stabbed with and gave it an expert twirl. "Here. You can take this off my hands." He tossed the blade up toward her and Vael caught the end of it. "More suited to your kind, really." He looked her up and down one last time. "Good luck."

Vael glanced toward the others, then motioned with her head for them to move on. "What a spot of luck, huh? Came about something else entirely, left with the location of one of the Sourcerers... We may be out of here before we know it."

Ifan grunted. "He tried to send an assassin after him. Might not be too happy to see us."

"Sure, but he's a Sourcerer. He might have a good reason." Vael twirled the knife she'd been given in her hand. It'd make a good replacement for that old potato knife from Griff, that'd be sure.


	23. Investigation

As they ventured back upstairs and out of the undertavern, Vael pointed toward Ifan. "Your man is supposed to be on the second floor, right?"

He nodded his assent. "He is."

Vael headed immediately for the stairs. She was in good spirits, they had a good, solid lead on where they might find a Sourcerer to train them, despite everything the group was still together, the Prince seemed to be taking the news well... She was hoping things might be looking on the up and up for a while.

Upstairs proved to be easy to scan, most doors were locked or produced no answer, one nothing but a woman saying something about bells. However, the door on the East side of the inn was open. As soon as they stepped through Ifan did a double-take and barked a quiet laugh, then pulled back on Vael's arm.

"I know this man, and he's not at all what he seems. A moment?"

Vael grinned. "Go right ahead."

Ifan bound toward and embraced the man, all effusive greetings. As they part, talking animatedly, the man's beard slipped sideways down his face - he's wearing a disguise! Ifan laughed as he straightened the beard for his apparent friend. 

Vael meant to say something but she was distracted, there was a spirit, standing silvery and silent behind the man that Ifan was speaking to. She managed to tear her eyes away from him, seeing spirits was still so... so strange, something she'd really have to get used to, and looked back to Ifan and his friend. They were chattering away using some kind of guttural cant that she couldn't really understand. At one point Ifan's friend looked over at Vael, she offered a little wave of her hand but let them speak, not wanting to get in the way of Ifan's business.

The man eventually hunkered down and started sketching a rough map on the floor using an apple, some playing cards and a fistful of threads pulled up from the carpet. Ifan clapped him on the back and turned to leave. "Well, now we know the way to the Sawmill... _and _we know Roost thinks I'm bringing you there as part of the Godwoken contract."

Vael's brows shot up. "But we're not, are we?"

"No, of course not." He smirked and clapped her arm. "Just for a talk."

Vael breathed a soft sigh. "Okay. Good. Mordus first, Blackroot, then the Prince's meeting and then the sawmill? Everyone's happy?" She looked to her two companions, nods all around. "Great."

They ventured back down and out, down the steps and off toward the west part of town. "They said Mordus' house was next to the Tavern, means it should be this one over here." They headed closer and Vael raised her brow as they approached. "It looks... unassuming enough."

A quick examination found an open door and a sleeping Dwarf. Vael gave the woman's seat a gentle nudge with her claw.

The woman opened her left eye, then her right, then looked up to the trio. "Whaddya want?"

"We're here for Lohar. We're meant to search for any clues about where Mordus went."

The Dwarf unfolded her arms and shot to her feet. "Awrite, lizard. Right glad Lohar ain't left us here to wither. Those brutes're takin' their sweet time down there, and I gotta send word soon."

Vael wondered what she meant about 'down there' until she realized the woman had been sleeping, and sitting, on a hatch to below. "Oh! Well, we'll head down now."

"Get to it, then. But tell the lunkheads that Glenna sent you before they bash yer brains in." The Dwarf settled to the side down on her seat, and before Vael knew it she was back asleep.

Vael looked at the others with a smirk. "I wish I could do that."

They ventured down into the dark- Vael could hear voices, but couldn't see where they were coming from. "You guys, look around, see if there's a room somewhere we can't see."

The two nodded, Vael leaned over against the wall where she could hear the voices most clearly. It was two voices, sounded like they were arguing about a crowbar. Vael heard Ifan go 'what's this?' a short distance away, then the wall she was standing next to started to shift. "A secret room!"

She nearly fell inside, managing to stumble back. The Dwarf behind the door looked up to her with a squint. "By Duna's dagger, dragon. You here to free us, or kill us?"

Vael smirked just a bit at being compared to a dragon. "We're here from Lohar and Glenna."

The male dwarf of the pair breathed a long breath out. "We've only been frettin' here for a few hours, but it's felt like days. That snot-nosed priest's as slippery as a snake in an oil drum."

"A priest?" Vael raised a brow curiously.

The female Dwarf continued. "Ain't found nothing that lets on what Mordus is up to. Only thing we managed were t'close that door and get us stuck. And if there's another door out there, never could find it."

"Lohar ain't gonna be pleased," The male Dwarf intoned meaningfully.

"Hopefully we'll have better luck. Glenna wanted you." Vael hooked her thumb over her shoulder.

"Best we head off then." The two Dwarves gave Vael a pair of salutes, then headed off back upstairs.

As the three of them moved into the closed room, they could most certainly see where the Dwarves had been searching, upended shelves and scattered books littered the floor, but it really looked like they hadn't done a thorough job. "Have a look around. Secret room like this has to have something of use in it."

Vael started looking at the shelves, Ifan went to the desk. The Prince wandered down into the lower part of the room- Vael looked up right after she heard a soft 'click'. "What was that?"

The Prince looked down at his foot, he'd stepped on some kind of pressure plate. "Uh..."

Ifan shouted a curse and hurried toward the door, but before he could get to it, it slid closed and locked into place.

Vael frowned at the sight of it, then turned to the others. "There must be something of interest around here. Keep looking, no one in their right mind would build a room like this with no way out."

The three of them continued to search for quite some time, Vael began to look to see if any of the books were stuck to the shelves, a hidden switch maybe, but it seemed like the Dwarves might have had the same idea judging by the state that the shelves were in. Ifan continued to look near the desk. The Prince continued downward, since he was already down there, looking through some boxes and crates in a corner of the room.

He shifted one of the crates, then let out a soft little 'aha', shifting it further out of the way. "There's a hidden bookshelf down here."

Vael glanced up. "Really? Well, what's on it?"

"There's a... schematic, a statue." Vael glanced to the side, there was a statue of Duna off in a corner; if there was a schematic, that meant there was likely a mechanism to get the door open. The Prince continued. "And a letter. Someone warning Mordus about failing to assassinate Lohar, and something called 'Mord'Akaim'. Wait, I've heard that name before."

Vael frowned. "So have I. That's some kind of horrible ritual, right?"

"Precisely. And it claims he's going to need an excessive amount of Source."

"Our missing and attacked Sourcerers." Ifan placed his hands on the desk.

Vael pursed her lips and set her jaw. "We should tell Lohar. Anything else?"

"It mentions a ship called the Peacemaker and the city of Arx. And something about weapons." The Prince looked up to her. "It also mentions us."

Vael bit her bottom lip. "Word travels quickly. Let's go warn Lohar. Does the schematic of the statue point out anything?"

An examination of the statue for a hidden button and a run through the town later, they arrived back in the undertavern and to Lohar. Puffing slightly for breath, Vael handed over the letter they'd found.

"I asked you for a man, not a note." He took the letter from her and read it quickly, his face hardening with anger as he reached the end. "Bloody godsdamned spit-sucking _weasel_!" He looked up the three of them. "This is bad. Not just for me and mine; not just for you and yours. This is bad for... everyone."

"Well, we're here, we're already working for you. I'm sure we can track him down if you tell us where he might've gone." Vael hefted her blade on her shoulder for emphasis.

Lohar nodded. "You've made it out of Fort Joy; you've been rubbin' shoulders with Magisters and lived to tell the tell. Hell, you've even survived me so far. I reckon you're our best bet." He hesitated for a moment. "I'll start at the beginning. Me and mine, we move... classified cargo. Take it right off Magister ships and put it into the hands of those that'll use it rightly. Trouble is, we came across something no-one ought to have. Not the Magisters, not my folks, not the Gods themselves."

Vael heard a quiet grumble inside of herself. She raised her brows and looked around, wondering where the sound had come from, then turned back to Lohar as he continued.

"I ordered it to be destroyed. I guess Mordus - whoever he's working for -wants it for themselves." He pointed a meaty finger at them. "That _can't _happen."

"What kind of cargo is that bad?" Vael shifted slightly where she stood, looking toward the others to see if they had any ideas.

Lohar shook his head. "The less you know, the better. Trust me. Stop Mordus, and I'll take care of the rest. My people had an operation up in the caves outside town - good access to Red ships and plenty of privacy, too." He put his hand to his chin. "Haven't heard from 'em in a couple of days now. I thought maybe we'd lost the messengers to Voidwoken in the hills, but now... I think it's worse than I thought. I'd bet my lucky left foot Mordus is in the cave. You've got to get to him before he gets his hands on that cargo. Pray to whoever you pray to that it ain't too late."

Vael nodded her head. "We'll take care of it. We need to find Mordus anyway."

"Finally someone with a little sense around here." He motioned with his hand. "Give me your map. I'll show you where we were operating - where I think Mordus will be." He took the map and shook his head, marking a spot on the far west edge of the Reaper's Coast with a bit of charcoal. "I don't want to know what'll happen if he gets what he's after..."

As they turned to leave to head off in search of Mordus, Ifan waited until they were out of earshot to tug on Vael's arm. "I remember the name of the Peacemaker, and I may know what they found."

Vael glanced to him as they continued to walk. "What? What'd they find?"

"The Peacemaker is one of the ships that carried Lucian's Deathfog." Ifan's face hardened. "We need to hurry."

Vael's eyes widened and she quickened her pace to a light jog. "We do."

They hurried so quickly out of town that Vael didn't realize until it was too late that they were running past a Magister checkpoint. As soon as the group passed by, their Source Hounds began barking up a storm. Vael thought that if they hurried through, they could pass by before anyone actually noticed, but a Magister stepped out from behind a barricade. She tightened the grip on her blade hung over her shoulder - she was not about to repeat what got her sent to Joy in the first place.

"Halt! The hounds smell Source on you - plenty of it, by the sound of 'em." The Magister growled. "Haven't got a collar for you. _Damnit. _I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave. Hounds! At the ready!"

Vael's face darkened as she stared the woman down. "Those dogs are barking so loud because they're scared." She leaned in closer. "It's for a good reason." She wasn't going to get collared again, and she wasn't about to stand and take it if the Magisters thought she'd just let them come after her.

The thought gave the Magister pause, then she stepped aside. "Fine, fine. Do all the gallivantin' you want. But if a hound goes snapping at your heels, I'm looking the other way."

Vael sneered at the woman and raised her head high. She was done letting them walk all over her. She made a show of walking as slow as she pleased through their checkpoint, dogs barking all the way until they'd passed through. They were just out of earshot when they picked up the pace once again.

As they continued up the path, passing through into the hills outside of Driftwood, Vael heard Ifan from behind. "Did I ever tell you that I worked with Lucian? Fact is, I was once pretty high up in his Divine Order. He was... a good man."

Vael glanced back as they continued to jog. Odd place for a conversation as they carried along, but she imagined the thought of Deathfog had him uneasy. "You mentioned it before, back on Joy. I heard a job like that was good money, why'd you quit?"

He looked uncomfortable, his face contorting, and his pace slowed to a crawl. Vael motioned for the Prince to slow down and she turned to face him, coming to a stop herself. "You know sacrifices had to be made during the war? Well, Lucian knew he needed to use Deathfog to eliminate the Black Ring. But doing that would... would kill the elves also. So, we came up with a plan."

Vael thought it had to be related to Deathfog, she motioned for him to continue. 

"I was to hurry through the forests with a rift portal for the elves, so they could escape before the Deathfog exploded. But... something went wrong." For the first time since Vael met him, it looked like Ifan might actually break down, she stepped closer. "I was too late. The Deathfog exploded just as I arrived, and the... the elves were... were..."

Vael reached out to him, a hand on his shoulder. She knew what it was like, to lose people you cared about - she'd been a soldier once too- but she couldn't imagine the scale of something like what he described.

He shot her a grateful look and the smallest of smiles. "Thanks. Onwards?"

Vael nodded, then motioned for them to get going again. "Onwards." She glanced back toward him with a grin. "Thanks for sharing. I thought you might have a history with Deathfog, but that..."

He nodded his head as they jogged along once more. "I wouldn't ever want to see it used again."


	24. The Cave

Their path through and around the hills outside of Driftwood proved strenuous, there was little time for conversation and little willpower to carry it on. They stopped just short of another hill, taking a short pause for a bit of a breather, to drink a little water, when they heard a voice from up above. "Creeping little flies..."

Vael looked up, seeing a Dwarf peering over the edge of the rock ledge ahead, and another on the other side of the road. She frowned, hefting her blade once more. "We're not looking for trouble, here. Lohar sent us."

The Dwarf pointed with a hand. "Go back! Get out of my realm!"

The Dwarven woman who'd called out to them, held out a hand, sending a bolt of magic toward the group. A leaking barrel of oil burst into flame, spreading fire across the ground. Vael looked back. "Ifan?"

"Gladly." He leveled his crossbow and fired off two quick shots, taking down first one Dwarf and then the other. 

Oddly, to Vael, as soon as the Dwarves fell, they died. Even if their injuries hadn't looked life-threatening, as soon as they hit the ground. She climbed up onto the ledge to try to investigate when she realized that the Dwarf had 'spawned' a spirit... She wasn't quite sure how that worked, exactly, yet. She glanced back toward Ifan and the Prince, the gestured for her to try speaking to it.

"Uh... hello?" She wasn't sure if seeing spirits was the same as speaking to them. The ones back on the ship in the Hall of Echoes had ignored her...

The spirit seemed confused, his voice echoing off of the hillside around them. "Wh-what am I doing here? I thought I was in the cave..." He looked around in confusion, quietly talking to himself. Like the others, he seemed oblivious.

Vael frowned, then looked back to the others and shrugged. "He mentioned the cave, though... I think we're getting close."

They decided to continue along this path, the Dwarves had been guarding it, maybe it was a quicker run ... Or it could lead to their destroyed camp. Vael slowed as she passed the boundary, destroyed tents, fallen furniture and Dwarves littered the ground. Vael looked around herself, taking in the sights. "Something terrible happened here... It was a massacre."

She heard a voice speaking, muttering about 'gawking at the dead' and 'parasite'. Vael looked around for the source of it until she realized that a spirit was standing in the sun, making him difficult to see. She wandered closer to him, wondering if he could tell she was there or not. He continued muttering, making Vael think that maybe he couldn't see her after all until their eyes met.

"... wait, you can see me?! Hell's teeth, how'd you manage that?" The ghost took his turn to gawp at the three of them as they gathered around him.

"We're Godwoken." She gestured to herself, Ifan and the Prince.

The Dwarf-spirit's eyes narrowed and he squared his shoulders. His hand seemed to instinctively drop to his waist. "That a fact? And here I thought our darling Bishop Alexandar was the only one. So Godwoken are powerful, huh? Powerful enough to control minds? To force brothers to draw steel against each other?"

"Well, actually, we think someone was making sure that..." She trailed off as the Dwarf continued. "I don't... know anyone who can do that."

"Well someone out there can, as sure as the sea's wet." He 'sighed', for as much as a spirit could. "We were doing some work 'round these parts. Smuggling, stealing, removing the odd witness - y'know, bread and butter stuff. We were sitting here - eating, drinking, tellin' tales - when some of the lads, they - their eyes turned black as pitch." He shook his head. "Next thing I know, my best mate's buried his dagger in my gut, and there's Voidwoken everywhere you look. Them that didn't die were carried off to the cave. Might be I was the lucky one, lying there, bleeding out."

"This cave you mention... What happened there?" Vael looked toward the others. They'd seen a Voidwoken carry someone off west, they were hunting Mordus near an area where Dwarves were operating where everyone had suddenly gone mad or been possessed, killing each other, Voidwoken springing from the ground... This wasn't looking good for old Mordus.

"Heh, was the day I'd have to cut yeh just for asking. Don't suppose it makes much of a difference now." The Dwarf looked back to his body, laying in the dirt. "The cave was our base, where we wrecked, smuggled, and stored the loot." He pointed with his hand off toward the West, the way they were going. "The entrance is through the ruins, o'er yonder. For all the good it'll do yeh. Might be swarming with Voidwoken by now."

Vael slowly nodded her head as she looked down at him. "Whatever happened..." She looked to the others, then back to the Dwarf. "We won't let this stand."

"Kind words, but there ain't none that'll undo what we saw." He 'sighed' again. "Most we can hope for now is some peace in the Hall of Echoes..."

"This isn't looking good at all." Ifan mused as he stared at the Dwarven spirit.

"No, not in the slightest." The Prince looked off to the west, where the Dwarf had pointed to. "We better expect Voidwoken as we continue. Our path just got a lot more difficult."

"That it did. But we can't walk it standing here." Vael motioned for them to move on.

The Dwarf's warning about the ruin proved to be very valid, the moment they stepped through the gateway, they found themselves facing down a host of Dwarves and one of those horrible flying spider-voidwoken. It looked like a cross between a praying mantis with spider legs and massive fly's wings, the whole thing buzzing angrily as they came into view. Vael barely got a chance to react, it spat poison and launched itself into the air, landing heavily on the wood. _'Kill them'_ came that voice that Vael had grown to associate with the Voidwoken, deep and incredibly angry.

With nothing else for it, Vael charged into the Dwarves, crying out for Ifan to take those on the high ground. The Prince was right behind her, charging the Voidwoken that had taken to higher ground. At some point int he battle, poison spread to the ground, one of the Dwarves ignited it, sending the battlefield up in flames. Vael had to dance free of them or be burned, her memories of being set on fire by Vredeman's spell made sure she got out of them quickly.

When the last Dwarf fell, the Prince's blade buried deep in the Voidwoken creature, Vael finally took a moment to look around and survey the carnage. Dwarves lay draped across every available surface, it seemed, a few had created spirits when they'd fallen. They had the dazed and confused look of the Dwarves from before, however, so Vael didn't think they'd be much use talking to. She looked to the others. "Is everyone okay?"

The Prince held his arm, wincing. "Just a scratch."

Ifan hurried over to him, examining the wound. Vael moved closer, feeling a bit like a worried mother hen, but she wanted to make sure he fulfilled whatever destiny was planned for him and didn't end up face-down in a ditch somewhere.

The Prince seemed to notice how extra-attentive the pair were being because he pushed them away(gently) to create some space. "It's just a scratch. Don't worry over me so much. I'm not a hatchling."

Vael pursed her lips to say something, but he was right. She motioned for Ifan to move off, sighing quietly as she did. "Sorry." She looked around herself, at the Dwarves, the dead Voidwoken. "I'd say we're definitely on the right path now. The cave can't be far off."

She looked to the Prince and frowned, then decided to say at least a little something. "Let us know when you want to continue? We're not in a rush."

He stared at her, then slowly shook his head, walking past her further West on the path. "We can go now. It's just a scratch."

He forged ahead, forcing Vael and Ifan to hurry on after him. The cave proved to be only a little ways down the path, though said path was littered with bodies and body parts. It most certainly wasn't the most welcoming area to be in. The entrance was another skull, like the Blood Rose cave back on Fort Joy, but Vael imagined that this one had been carved deliberately by the Dwarves to keep people out. Now, it served as a good indicator of what they'd find within.

As they passed through the entrance and into the cave, they could see spirits and dead Dwarves scattered everywhere. Most of them didn't notice them, re-enacting their Deaths, those that did were too frightened or out of their minds to prove useful to speak to. The whole cave stank of death and decay, not surprising given all the dead Dwarves, but this had all happened too recently for the bodies to have decayed to the point they'd stink this much...

Vael held her sword ready, barely perched on her shoulder, as they moved through the cave searching for any sign of their quarry. "Be ready. I feel eyes on us."

They crept across a bridge and down a hall, into a massive, open area that peered out over a chasm within the hill. Vael breathed out a quiet whistle as she looked out over the vista. "Only Dwarves could find a cave like this... Imagine the time it took for the water and waves to carve out a cave like this." She looked to the others with a little smile. "Almost worth it just to see this."

Vael started to head back toward the exit when she heard and felt the ground rumble beneath her feet. She barely had time to lift her blade or shout a warning before one of the massive spider-like Voidwoken burst from the ground, throwing her off her feet. Vael soared through the air and landed hard on her back with a clang of metal, nearly throwing her sword from her grip, but she just barely managed to hold on. She gasped for breath, the air knocked out of her lungs, as more of the things burst from the ground around her and the others. They swarmed them, attacking the Prince, Ifan, swiping with claws and talons, spurting web and ice.

She just barely managed to haul herself to her feet, gasping for air when one of the creatures hit Ifan full in the face with a shot of web, entangling his face and hands. With him disabled it swooped in and to Vael's horror if quickly webbed him further. She charged for the creature, barely managing to get a swing off before it burrowed underground, Ifan in tow. "Ifan!" She screamed after him as he vanished, then she heard another cry.

The Prince went down under three of the things, Vael's anger roared within her to be unleashed, her hands burst into the flame. She charged the creatures like she was borne aloft by wings, covering an astonishing amount of ground, were she of any mind to notice. Her blade cut down one, two of the things, but the third had managed to web the Prince and he, too, was borne underground, deep into the Voidwoken's lair.

Vael hardly had a chance to move before she felt a shot of the same web slam into her back, wrapping around her front, trapping one of her arms at her side. She spun, the flames she'd created with her Source already starting to burn through and weaken the webs wrapped around her sword arm when another shot of web hit her in the face. Blinded and unable to see, Vael felt chitinous legs wrap around her torso as she was carried aloft. The flames of her anger within burned all the brighter, already licking at the vulnerable web. Her sword arm slipped free.

She shifted in the creature's grip and managed to buy herself just enough room. Her arm cocked back, sword clutched within her claws with a determined, fiery grip. She barely had time to process how high in the air they were in the cavern before her sword swung true, crashing into the creature. It screamed an insectoid cry as it died, wings sputtering and stalling as Vael fell from it's deadened grip. 

Vaeltorya screamed in terror as she plunged to the ground through the darkened air of the cave. Her sword fell from her grip, tumbling through the air as she twisted, trying to see if there was anywhere to land, any safe ground to even attempt to aim for. 

The ground rushed up to meet her and then all was still.


	25. Determination

When Vael awoke, every part of her body ached that she could think of that could possibly ache. Her tail felt broken, she couldn't get one of her feet to move. Her whole body felt wet and cold and stiff. She lay face-down in something that she didn't want to think of. Everything hurt so badly that she just wanted to lay there, cry, and wait for whatever end might come.

She let herself cry, for a time, soft, quiet sobs into whatever horrific surface her face currently lay pressed against, but eventually, she knew that she couldn't lay here feeling sorry for herself forever. She was meant for bigger, better things... or at least better things than dying, unknown, forgotten, in some Gods-forsaken cave filled with terrifying monsters. She tried to force herself up, to see where she'd landed, but her hand sunk deep into some substance that burned her scales and she was forced to withdraw it. Further blind exploration eventually found a place where she could put weight on her hand without it sinking into whatever disaster covered the ground around her and she was able to push herself up perhaps an inch or two from the ground.

Her other hand, stuck beneath herself, she was finally able to wiggle free now that she'd gotten her weight shifted, and she was able to reach up and tug free whatever had managed to get caked across her eyes. Wet, sloppy, sticky filth was pulled free and she finally managed to open her eyes to see what surrounded her. She, for a long moment, almost wished she hadn't bothered. 

Vael had landed in a horrible cave full of muck, fleshy, cursed growths covering the walls, the floor, almost every available space. She'd plunged her claw into one of them, the foul-smelling muck that spilled free strong enough to burn her hand. Whatever passed for blood inside of these creatures was truly vile indeed. She tried to shift her right leg and winced in pain from the agony that shot up along her limb every time she tried to move her ankle. She didn't know if it was sprained or broken, but she knew that she wasn't going to be putting a good amount of weight on it any time soon.

No matter how bad her situation was, however, she knew that her friends couldn't be better off. At least she'd escape being webbed and carted away to whatever machinations the creatures had planned for them. Even this fresh hell had to be better than what they were experiencing. She couldn't give up, not now. They'd be counting on her.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, she could feel blood dripping slowly onto the scales of her cheek from a cut just above her eyebrow. She'd hit her armor hard enough on her left side that the dented and torn metal had opened a cut along her ribs... She was just glad that it didn't seem particularly deep, and wasn't bleeding very badly. Her right foot was almost useless, she supposed it must have hit the ground first. It was all she could do to manage to hobble along on it, limping as she went.

Vael managed to find a bit of something she could use to help to try to support herself, she didn't know if it was a bone, a staff, a piece of wood, a bit of rock, it was covered so thoroughly in muck as to make it unidentifiable. It gave her just enough mobility that she began to think she might actually get out of here, with a little luck, and a lot of effort. She looked to be in some kind of massive, circular room, filled with fleshy growths and what she could only imagine to be eggs, huge, round, twitching things that almost seemed to _breathe _every few moments.

She could hear creatures moving deeper in the cave, muffled howls from far away, chitin-y rustles and whispers from within the room she crept through, leathery shifting of an origin she couldn't identify and didn't want to guess at. She began to look around for her sword as her alarm grew, if she could find that, if she could defend herself, she'd have a real, genuine chance of escaping. She hadn't seen it so far, but she was so close to the ground when she lost her grip on it that it couldn't be too far away.

As she slowly shifted herself through the cave, she realized she was walking steadily up a slope toward a raised portion of the room... She also recognized that there was a trail through the compacted muck and detritus where she'd fallen. She began to trace it with her eyes and... there! She spotted it, laying not far from where it looked like she'd hit the ground. Only the fact that the rock floor of the cave was covered with layers of debris, filth, fleshy growth and other unspeakable things had saved her life, but she'd still fallen and rolled and apparently bounced off of rocks hard enough to seriously damage her person.

Vael heard the leathery rustling growing louder, creeping closer, and she hurried as fast as her crippled state could take her toward her blade. The rustling grew louder the quicker she moved, she felt like whatever was after her began to chase her more quickly the more she struggled. She imagined herself like a meal about to be eaten, the wiggling fish attracting the shark. At the last moment when she felt it was dive or be killed, she leaped forward as far as her ruined right foot could take her. She slammed into the muck with a cry of pain and skidded several feet across the putrifacted surface, but she'd achieved a small victory. Her hand wrapped around the hilt of her blade.

She forced herself up, blade held before her, just in time to see a creature straight out of her nightmares flare leathery wings and screech at her. It looked like some horrific amalgamation of bat and man and insect, arms ending in terrifying claws, feet tipped in sharp protrusions that she had no doubt would go straight through her armor if she let them. The thing sprung at her, she did the only thing she could and rolled onto her back, splashing into the stirred-up goop as the creature sailed overhead. She tried to get her blade up enough that the abomination might leap upon it, but with her injuries, her reflexes were too slow to manage.

She rolled, trying to support herself on her mostly-good leg, doing all that she could to bring her weapon to bear. All she needed was one good strike, but she knew the creature only needed the same. It became a tiny game of cat and mouse, Vael trying to bait it into an attack she could punish, the creature waiting for an opening with a terrible intelligence. She twitched, it sprung, her blade crashed down even as she felt claws pierce her armor over her abdomen. Vael could only pray that they hadn't plunged too deep, a gut wound was a long, slow way to die, especially in a place like this.

The creature skidded to a halt behind her in the debris, Vael fell upon it, bringing her blade down again and again and again. It finally died, twitching and broken, but the sound of their battle had brought another of the spider-like Voidwoken skittering over the vile ground. She was starting to understand why they walked upon such tiny, delicate legs if this is what their hives looked like. The slower creature, hardly a threat were she rested and ready, very nearly proved to be her end.

Vael clashed with it, limb and blade meeting scale and chitin. She could feel one of the smaller legs pierce through her armor, her blade sliced into her foe. She collapsed upon it as it trembled beneath her, she could hardly manage the strength to lift her sword to plunge it deep into the Voidwoken, finally killing it.

A silence fell upon the chamber as Vael lay there, bleeding, fallen atop her defeated enemy, broken only by the intermittent shifting and rustling of eggs and the wet, fleshy sounds of the ground itself shifting beneath her feet and body. She thought she'd lay there only long enough to catch her breath, but those scant moments soon turned into minutes. She was so tired, maybe if she just lay here they'd think her dead and she could rest.

Vael knew, however, that if she stopped, if she was discovered by another creature, she likely wouldn't survive. She forced her head up, forced herself to look around. She had some bandages in her pack that she'd taken from the Lady Vengeance, if she could find a relatively clear spot to bandage herself, maybe then she'd be rested enough to press on. She continued up the slope she'd been trying to climb before, using her sword as a crutch, the hilt propping up her crippled right leg by resting under her armpit.

She slipped and very nearly slid down at one point, but managed to catch herself by digging her claws into the slime. As she crested the top of the hill, she found something that at this moment was more valuable to her than all the gold she carried. A clear bit of relatively unblemished rock to sit down upon.

Vael trudged to the rock, streaking gunge-covered footsteps across the surface before she finally fell onto her rear with an exhale of weary breath. She noticed a spirit walking to and fro across the summit, but she couldn't see or at least couldn't identify which corpse she belonged to. The summit was covered in them, likely to act as a feeding ground for the voidwoken.

A grimace and groan of pain left her as she pulled her pack around. It was damaged and dirty but relatively intact, a package of food had burst open but given her surroundings, she felt like the last thing on her mind was eating. She fished the bandages free, began to slowly dress herself in them as she sat and rested. She used some to try to clean her hands, not wanting to contemplate what diseases lurked within the quickly-crusting mess she sat coated in, some to try to clean her wounds. She bandaged herself as best she could, it wouldn't stop the bleeding but at least she would bleed out more slowly than she was doing now.

She gently slapped herself upon the cheek. She couldn't think like that. She needed a plan, a way out, not defeatist thoughts. From her vantage point high in the air, she looked for some way out of this chamber, some way to escape, to move forward, but inwardly she dreaded what she'd find beyond this room. Was this the worst one? Were the others no better, more horrifying? She didn't know, she hadn't seen much of the cave as she'd been flown to and dropped here.

Vael reached into her pack and fished free a flask of water, drinking just enough to slake her thirst. She didn't know how long she was going to be stuck here, what supplies she might find, she didn't want to waste anything if possible. Eventually, her gaze fell upon what she _thought _might be an exit, a passage to another part of the cave. It was down the hill, at the very least, so if she didn't lose her footing she could more-easily make it down than she might otherwise.

She pushed herself up, forcing herself to grit her teeth against the pain in her limbs as she began to move again. She thought that maybe her right foot or ankle was only sprained, not broken, it didn't hang at awkward or incorrect angles, it simply wouldn't support any weight. She limped her way slowly down the hill to the passage, then slipped within. It was a relatively tight fit but she managed to slip through, buoyed by the sound of running water. She actually let herself believe that the rest of the cave wasn't as disgusting as the hell she'd just left.

When her head broke through into the dim light, she thought she might collapse on the spot in joy. This part of the cave actually looked like _a cave _instead of some kind of fleshy hell designed by a sadist. She truly must have fallen into the absolute worst part of the area, of all the luck she could have had.

A locked gate loomed on her left, she didn't have the tools or ability to get it open, so she hobbled down the passage in the only direction she could take. There was water below, she thought of attempting to clean herself off, but it was just too far down to reach safely or comfortably. She continued onward and reached a crossroads; unsure of which way to go, she picked a direction at random, hoping she'd eventually find someone, anyone, another living soul in this cave.

Her spirits lifted when she spotted a small pool of water ahead, she hobbled toward it, passing another gate, this one laying open almost invitingly. She had other things on her mind, however, and she slowly lowered herself into the pool when she reached it. There was a slight current within it, water flowing from one rock wall to her right down a slope toward her left at a lazy pace. It felt so good to wash some of the crust from her scales, but she didn't linger long. Just enough that she was _slightly _less worried she'd die of infection if she actually managed to make it out of here.

Further hobbling led her to another crossroads, the air smelled slightly better in one direction than the other, so she chose that one to make her way down. From the gloom ahead emerged a sight she hadn't expected to see, but then again this cave had once been a functioning base for the Dwarves, it hadn't always been a Voidwoken-infested hellhole. A bedroom, of all things, loomed before her, beds and paintings and light and comfort and she could _rest _for a time and-

Her sword's tip scraped against the ground and from a short distance away she heard muffled screaming. She knew that voice. "Ifan!" She called to him, her head turning to try to get a better bead on where he was. "Ifan! I'm here!" She didn't dare yell too loudly lest she draw the attention of the Voidwoken, but she knew she had to find him to stand a chance to get out of here.

His muffled cries came from behind one of the beds and she hurried as quickly as her leg would allow her to do so, eventually discovering him near-completely cocooned, laying upon the floor. She collapsed at his side, tears pouring down her cheeks in relief that he was still alive and she was no longer alone. She pulled free the knife that Lohar had given her from her belt, beginning to saw him loose from the webs that trapped him, until all at once they fell away and he was released.

She fell upon him, sobbing, so glad that she'd found one of her friends and wasn't alone. He took a moment to take her in, the sight of her disheveled and damaged form.

"My Gods, what happened to you?"

She shook her head slowly as she lifted her face from his shoulder. "You really don't want to know."


	26. Revelations

Vaeltorya hissed and winced as Ifan slowly worked at patching her up. She felt his hands across her injuries as they glowed, putting his Sourcerer powers to good use in order to help her to heal as quickly as possible. Wounds knitted, bleeding stopped, function restored to her right leg, her recovery took a fair bit of time but was completely necessary if they were to escape. "Thank the Gods for Source, huh?", she spoke with a wince and a groan as she looked toward him.

Ifan sat back, wiping the back of his hand slowly across his brow as he let out a long breath. "This is all I can do. But it should get you moving again."

Vael nodded, shifting just enough that she could try to put weight on her right foot again. She closed her eyes and prepared for pain as she set her claws upon the stone, but she was greeted only by a dull ache. The lizard breathed a soft sigh of relief and nodded once. "If I can walk, we can escape. You have no idea where the Prince is?"

"None. I didn't see anything from when we were taken until you cut me free." He wiped his bloodied hands clean on a bit of bandage. "We'll have to look."

She looked around herself, looking for what might be the next best path to take, shifting up and off of the bed she sat on as she did. "I came from there," she pointed off to the West. "So we circle around this way," she motioned South, "And keep looking until we find him."

Ifan nodded, hefting his crossbow that he'd untangled from the webbing. "Sounds good."

The duo trekked onward through the cavern, making far better time than Vael had managed on her own now that her foot was mostly healed. Their path took them deeper in, across jury-rigged ship wreckage that had been mounted on walls and across caverns as platforms and rooms, once used by the Dwarves in their operations. Ifan crouched as he approached a stairwell, peering off into the gloom. "Look there." He pointed ahead. "What is that?"

Vael settled down next to him to have a look, pursing her lips. "Eggs and the detritus that comes with them. I landed in a room full of them."

"A room full of that?" He looked back at her incredulously.

"So much worse than that." She gave him a grim look, then started slowly down the stairs. "There are Dwarves there, too. Be ready, I can't imagine they're friendly."

As she'd expected, as soon as the pair came into view, the Dwarves took up battle stances. Their silent, staring faces with inky black eyes were unsettling to see, and they cast their spells and made their attacks with ruthless, mechanical efficiency. Thankfully there were only two of them, Ifan was able to disable one with a bolt from a distance and Vael was able to close with the other, both falling in short order. Ifan slipped around the bottom of the room, searching while Vael looked along the top.

"Look for a key. I saw more than one locked gate while I was searching for you," Vael called down to him. Even though this was far 'nicer' than the room she'd been in, she still shuddered at the sighs and renewed smells of the gunk and detritus that surrounded the eggs.

She heard Ifan grunt and peered down at him from her spot above. "What happened?"

"There's a puddle of Source here... and a pile of bodies." With some trepidation, he placed his hand into the puddle, which swiftly vanished up into his arm. He shuddered. "Eugh. But if the Prince is hurt..."

Vael nodded once, then continued her search. She eventually dropped down onto the floor below to help Ifan look and the two of them came across the key at almost the same time. During the fighting, it'd apparently fallen from a desk and lay half-buried in the sludge that surrounded the eggs. "Well, here's hoping that this opens some doors for us and isn't just to someone's home back in Driftwood."

They headed Westward as the cave's passages curved around, leading them to a locked gate. Vael tried the key, sighing with relief as the lock clicked and the gate swung open. "Come on, I think I've seen most of the areas in here that aren't this one, he has to be here."

Their passage disturbed a slumbering Voidwoken buried in the dirt of the cave floor, but with the two of them, they made short work of the single hostile creature. Soon enough another gate loomed ahead of them, their key did the trick here as well, but the next gate they came across didn't yield so easily. This gate was at the top of a platform they'd needed to climb a ladder to reach, marking it as something special. Vael turned to Ifan. "Want to try your hand?"

He stepped forward. "I found a proper pair of lockpicks in Mordus' desk." He crouched down to reach the lock, setting his jaw as he worked. It seemed to be slow going, but several clicks and a curse or two later, he pulled the lock free, tossing it behind himself and down the ladder. "There we are."

Vael smiled at him, then pushed the gate open and stepped through. This area contained more dead Dwarves, but no eggs. A puddle of the same fleshy detritus that decorated the rest of the cave befouled one corner of the room, but overall it was almost... clean. She hefted her blade with a frown, moving through the room slowly with a hand held out toward Ifan. "There's someone here." She could hear muttering and shifting, quiet rustling and rasping. The other possessed Dwarves that they'd come across had never spoken while they were still alive.

They ascended steps, more rustling sounds and muffled noises reaching their ears, but a cocooned Prince wasn't who they'd found. Instead, they found a Dwarven woman, working steadily at a desk. Ifan's hand gripped Vael's arm and roughly tugged her back. "I recognize the device on the table there. I need to talk to her. _Now._"

Vael winced slightly but waved him forward. "Don't tear my arm off to do it."

He looked down at her and released her arm quickly. "Sorry." He steps forward and talks with her quickly, exchanging words that make his face pale.

Vael leans forward, trying to listen in. "Ifan? What is it?"

The Dwarven woman laughs at him, her voice high and tinkling, like glass smashing on a stone floor. "You thought that was a _rift portal?! _Lord, no. It's nothing of the sort."

Vael paused, then looked to Ifan. He'd said _he _had brought a rift portal to the elves. "Ifan...?"

The Dwarf continued. "It's a special device that carries only a very special cargo. Specifically: Deathfog."

Ifan stumbled back as if struck. "No. _No. _Lucian would never... never..."

Vael stepped up behind him, keeping him from going too far back. She was starting to realize the ramifications of what the Dwarven woman told him. _He _had delivered the Deathfog to the elves, thinking he was going to save them. "Ifan, I'm so sorry..."

He doesn't register her words, and instead, he stepped forward, jaw set. Vael could _see _the change in him as he moved, from concern to cold anger and hard steel. He placed the dagger he'd pulled from his sleeve against the woman's neck. "Give me one good reason..."

The Dwarven woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest. "I wouldn't go there if I were you. I work directly for Queen Justinia... and she doesn't take kindly to meddlers. And to be honest, I've reached the end of my tether with what I can do here." She waved him off with a hand. "So if you want to harass somebody, hang on. Hannah, the original creator should arrive here from Paradise Downs any day now."

Ifan whipped his blade away from her, leaving a single bead of crimson to run down her neck as he stalked away, toward the top of the stairs, hands resting on his hips as he stared down at the floor in front of him. Vael glared at the Dwarf who seemed to pay the pair no further mind, turning back to her desk. Vael could practically feel the anger rolling off of him in waves and she stepped closer to him, she didn't touch him, just standing nearby in case he needed anyone to speak to.

He turned away from her, not wanting her to see his face, but Vael spotted the wet on his cheeks. She reached out toward him, then thought better of it and moved to one side. Nearby, but giving him plenty of space.

His hands clenched and unclenched several times before they went limp and he looked back at her. "I can't believe..."

"I know. I remember what you said. The portal was..." Vael wrung her hands in front of herself.

"Lucian himself handed me that device." Ifan looked down at his hands. "I raced there, faster than I've ever done anything. I _trusted him_." He looked back to her, and Vael could see the tears in his eyes, hear the pain in his voice. "I can't believe that Lucian would do that. To lie to me. To use me? I _ran. _I _tried. _And all along, the annihilation of the elves was in my hands. He must have been set up."

"I ..." Vael tried to think of anything she could say. "I think that you did the best with what you believed to be true. The blame doesn't lie at your feet. You couldn't have known. The blame lies with the one who gave you the device."

"But could Lucian _do _this? No, it's not possible." He clenched his hands. "I intend to dig up answers. By any means necessary. The creator of the device - Hannag? She's out there still. We'll find her." He looked up to Vael. "We _will _find her." He set his jaw. "And when we do, I'll make sure she answers any question we care to throw at her..."

Vael nodded her head slowly. "We'll look for her, Ifan." She placed her hands on her hips with a sigh. "Our list of things to do here grows longer by the moment." She shifted, tilting her head. "Do you hear that?"

Startled, he looked to her, then the room around her. "Hear what?"

Vael followed her ear off behind the Dwarf, behind where she was working, until she peered over a ledge down into a small hidden area. Next to what was obviously the burrow-hole of one of the Voidwoken insects lay a web-wrapped, wiggling bundle with a red tail poking out... "It's him! The Prince!"

She vaulted over the wood down toward him, wincing slightly at her bruised ankle when she landed, but she quickly began to work at the web restraining him. "Prince! It's me! It's Vael!" He hardly moved, just soft, quiet, muffled sounds rising from near his head. Her dagger worked as quickly as she dared as she set him free, webbed strands falling away from him before they collapsed all at once.

He looked pale and struggled for breath, and Vael leaned closer to him to try to figure out what was wrong. "Ifan!" She called up toward him with a near-panicked tone. "He's not breathing."

Ifan leaped over the ledge and landed next to her, light on his feet as he crouched down near the Prince. He listened for a moment, then let out a soft 'ah' and motioned for Vael to move away. Once she did, he quickly turned the Prince over and lifted his waist. All at once the Prince spluttered and coughed, water and some kind of... fluid oozing from his scarlet maw. "They attacked us with ice. I imagine some got trapped in his webbing, or the creature passed through water underground."

Vael stared worriedly at the Prince as he slowly recovered, color returning to his face as he coughed several times and his breathing got stronger. Eventually, his eyes opened and she sat back, a hand resting on her forehead. "My Gods, I thought we lost him."

It took him a minute or so more to regain focus and he looked around the pair, where he was, down at himself. "Princely accommodations these aren't," he muttered after a long period of silence.

She couldn't help the smile that broke out across her face at the sight and sound of him. "Thank the Gods you're alright."

He slowly, unsteadily, pushed himself to his feet. Ifan rose to help steady him, bracing him so he didn't fall over. "Judging by the looks of you two, the Gods didn't have anything to do with it." He coughed one more time, hacking up a little globule of spit-soaked web. "Come on, the sooner we get out of here the better I'll feel."

Vael nodded, then helped the Prince and Ifan up the ledge and back into the more-open air, then climbed up herself with their help. They left the Dwarven woman behind, heading back down deeper into the caves. "Whatever this Mordus is doing in this cave, it needs to be stopped. Voidwoken, _Deathfog_, we have to stop it." She paused, pulling up short. "Deathfog. The cargo that Lohar said we shouldn't look into." Vael looked back to the others as Ifan's face darkened.

"That bastard." He slammed his fist into his palm.

The Prince held out a hand toward Ifan. "He tried to stop it, remember? He ordered it destroyed."

Ifan looked to the ground and his anger cooled. "You're right."

"That means..." Vael glanced deeper into the cave. "We need to hurry. Mordus has Deathfog, and anyone who can work with Voidwoken like this has to be bad news."

The others agreed and they hurried onward, deeper into the cavern. If they could reach him in time, put a stop to whatever it was that he was planning to do with the Deathfog, they had to try. The only area of the cave that they hadn't yet explored was the far Western end. Vael had seen a pathway toward there but never gone down it in her explorations with the others.

They hurried along as quickly as they dared to run in the gloom of the cave, soon finding a large, half-smashed ship looming ahead of them. More Voidwoken eggs, another Voidwoken guarding them, barred their way, but the trio cut through them like they were hardly there. They were on a mission and weren't about to be stopped by a bug. The half-smashed ship hid a ladder that they quickly climbed, breaking out into more-open air. Just by virtue of being higher, it smelled better than the dank underbelly they'd been crawling through for the last they-didn't-know-how-long, bringing with it a brief respite.

Ahead of them loomed a plateau within the cave that Vael remembered seeing from their vantage when they first entered. She hoped that Mordus lurked ahead, that they'd finally get some answers out of him. She crouched down as she approached the rear of the shattered ship, peering over it and motioning for the others to do the same. They could see Dwarves standing around a pit, all staring down at something or someone within it. "I would bet good money that he's in the bottom part there that we can't see."

Ifan growled under his breath. "But what we can't see is what worries me."

Vael inclined her head in agreement, then looked back to the Prince. "You up to this?"

"Of course I am." He almost seemed hurt by the question. "I rested while you two gallivanted all across the cave. Why wouldn't I be ready?"

Vael reached back and gave his shoulder a squeeze as she smiled. "True. Come on then, let's see what this Mordus has to say for himself."


	27. Mordus

The three of them hopped over the ledge, heading toward the dip in the ground that they hoped contained Mordus so they could finally get some answers... and get out of this cave. They could hear a high-pitched, whiny-sounding voice ahead of them, muttering about 'source to complete the ritual' among other things. Vael glanced to the others and gestured with her hands for them to take up positions, Ifan hurried toward a bit of higher ground behind one of the silent Dwarves, the Prince moved to get a better path toward the center if he needed it.

Vael walked up behind another of the Dwarves, nudging the silent woman on her shoulder as Vael hefted her blade. "Quite the operation you've got going on in here, my friend."

The skeletal Dwarf that Vael could only imagine to be Mordus turned his head up toward her, looking at the Prince and Ifan. "You made it all the way here, you creeping little maggots? Have you wriggled up to bow to me? Has Lohar sent you to beg forgiveness for his sins?"

Vael raised a brow and breathed out a sigh. "Yep, this sounds like we found him."

The Dwarf continued as if she hadn't spoken. "My lord had faith - he came to me when Lohar failed the Queen. And as a reward for my service, he has granted me his favor. He has granted me Mord'Akaim."

Vael bounced her blade on her shoulder. "Mord'Akaim? We've heard that weapon before. That's an old ritual, a blood ritual. Able to stand against armies."

"Armies?" The Undead Dwarf scoffed. "Merely shep with swords. Minds that _beg _to be controlled. But Mord'Akaim is so much more than the power to have those beasts slaughter each other. And it is mine. By my Lord's grace, the power is mine."

Vael hefted her blade and held it before her, her face set. "Not for long."

The Dwarf cackled and raised his daggers, for some reason Vael had expected him to be a magic-user, but he proved her expectations incorrect. He charged toward the Prince, but Vael lept down into his path, bringing her blade down to try to crush him with one blow. He raised his daggers, deflecting her to the side, cackling all the while. Poison dripped from his blades, Vael knew she did not want to find herself on the wrong end of those. "Ifan!"

At her call he sprung forward, cutting the throat of one of the silent Dwarves from behind. Now they knew why they were silent, controlled by Mordus and his magic, their minds no longer their own. As the Dwarf fell and gurgled, Ifan spun and raised his crossbow, taking aim. A Dwarf on the other side of the room, up upon a ledge, fell, clutching their shoulder. Every Dwarf that dropped created a spirit, standing dazed and confused in the same spot they'd fallen down.

The Prince charged in beside Vaeltorya, locking blades with Mordus. He bashed him with his shield, forcing the Dwarf back, then slashed across him, leaving a deep cut in his armor, but the skeletal Dwarf remained intact. He struck back several times at each of them, disappearing and reappearing in the air behind and beside them, dipping out of sight only to appear again in another place. It was all Vael and the Prince could do to defend themselves against the onslaught, leaving few openings for them to truly try to push him back further.

"Ifan! Do something!" Vael called toward him, but he had his hands full with the other Dwarves. 

"Busy!" He lept from one of the upper ledges down below, rolling into a couch as he leveled his crossbow, bolt nocked. Another Dwarf fell, tumbling from the ledge after him, rolling across the ground to skid to a halt feet away from where Vael and the Prince battled Mordus.

The undead Dwarf broke contact with them, cackling. "Thank you Sourcerers! Thank you for bringing me the Source I need to become Mord'Akaim!" He scurried across the ground to the spirit, raising his hands into the air. Source began to flow from the spirit to Mordus himself.

"Stop him!" Vael charged after him, blade raised, but she slammed into an invisible barrier around the Dwarf that sent her reeling back. The Prince fared no better, Ifan's bolts bouncing off to land uselessly across the ground.

Mordus' cackle turned to a roar as he grew and expanded, his form shifting and changing into a massive Voidwoken-like creature that towered over the three. He raised his claws with a chittering roar. "_MORDUS'AKAIM!"_

Vael looked up to the thing, her blade held tight in her claws. "Oh, shit."

Claws slammed into the ground before her, forcing Vael to stumble back and away. "Run! To higher ground!" The Prince seemed to have the same thought, already far ahead of her, climbing the slope up and out of the pit away from the massive beast.

Mordus cackled as he chased them, huge feet thumping across the ground. The last Dwarf fell, toppling from above thanks to Ifan's bolt, as he hurried up a cliff face to be well out of reach of the thing. "Open to ideas!," He called to Vael from his perch.

"Look for a weak spot!" Vael had to fling herself to a ground to avoid a swipe, then roll to the side to avoid another slam. The thing raised up, gurgling, and she barely managed to crawl under its legs as a massive spat of acid vomit landed on the ground where she'd been moments before. She swiped at one of its legs, but her blade just bounced off. "Prince! Any ideas!?" 

"Nothing comes to mind!," he called back to her, doing his own dance to avoid the creature's legs and claws, Mordus battering at his shield. "Starting to wish you hadn't untied me!"

Vael rolled to her feet behind the thing, looking for anything that could be a weak spot, a place they could actually damage it. The creature's armor seemed impenetrable, but she knew that nothing lacked a weak spot entirely... 

The thing roared, rearing up on its hind legs as claws scrabbled for its back. Ifan let out a triumphant bark of a laugh. "The joints! Attack the joints!"

Vael nodded, raising her blade as she faced the thing. She could see one now, just like the insects this ritual had turned him into, his chitin-armored legs had weaker joints. She roared and swung her blade as hard as she could manage, burying it into the joint of one of the legs. It didn't manage to go all the way through, but she had most certainly found purchase within him. The creature spun and swiped at her so quickly that she didn't have time to get out of the way, it was all she could do to raise her weapon in front of her to reduce the blow, but it still sent her flying back across the ground.

The Prince had heard what to do and began to hack at the thing any chance he got, ducking and weaving between and around attacks. Vael began to see what a lifetime of training as a general of the House of War could do for your combat skills, as he still hadn't been touched. The damaged creature just wasn't quite fast enough to catch him and the Prince struck blow after blow against the weak spots in its armor. Ifan launched as many bolts as quickly as he could, not every one managed to sink into the thing's armor, but it soon began to resemble a massive, insectoid pincushion from their attacks.

As soon as she could regain her feet, Vael hurried forward, doing her best to distract the thing, to keep its attention off of the Prince as much as she could. It turned toward her, seeming to think that she was a softer target as it just couldn't manage to get its claws on the Prince. Jagged, chattering jaws lunged toward her, trying to bite and tear at her, but Vale shoved her blade horizontally into the creature's mouth, becoming quite the prickly meal.

Mordus gripped the blade in her mouth and lifted, but Vael refused to let go, hanging on for dear life to the end of her sword. It lifted her into the air, swaying her and flinging her every which way, but she refused to relent. She heard more blows finding purchase, more arrows sinking into revealed softer flesh as the thing tried to shake her loose. Eventually, it couldn't stand the pain of the repeated attacks and let Vael loose with a roar... though she did find herself sailing through the air again for the second time in as many days.

She flailed for several moments until she realized that Mordus had released her almost directly up into the air... and directly over himself. She did her best to gather herself together, falling over him like one would cannonball into a pool of water... with her blade pointed directly down.

Vael slammed into Mordus' back, the height and weight proving to be enough force for her blade to pierce through the noxious abomination's hide. It reeled and screamed, staggering on wounded legs until they gave out beneath it, thudding to the ground hard enough to finally shake Vael loose. As the creature squirmed and slowly died, Vael pushed herself up to her feet, tugging her blade free as she did... but the acidic insides of the thing had done their work on the metal of her blade.

Dependable and true, it was finally vanquished in landing the final blow against Mordus, the blade pocked and scarred and in certain places almost completely eaten through. Vael snarled and tossed it to the side, looking back toward the creature- she'd finish it with tooth and claw if she had to... but thankfully she didn't have to. As his monstrous form died, it faded, leaving only the broken undead Dwarf doing his best to push himself away from the three on broken legs.

"Please! No! Mercy! Mercy!" He screamed as he tried to escape from them.

"Mercy? Like you showed these Dwarves?" Vael pushed closer, pulling him up by the collar of his armor, leaving his broken legs dangling uselessly in the air. "_Ready to answer some questions?"_

He held up his hands toward her. "Of course, of course! Anything - just name it!"

"Why did you do this do the Dwarves?" Vael gave him a shake, turning him so that he could see the dead Dwarves around them.

"I had no choice! They wanted to destroy the Deathfog!" Vael shook him and he screamed. "They haul barrels of the greatest weapons in the world off a ship and then decide to throw them in the ocean!? We couldn't let it happen. We _needed _it. So I- I took control."

Vael shifted her grip to hold him up by his collarbones, her shakes threatening to pull him loose. "_Who is we?"_

"The Queen! It's the Queen! She saw what Deathfog did to the Black Ring." He whimpered as she shook him, bones clattering. "She saw it destroy the elven forest! She said the Dwarves needed power like that. And he told me to make sure she got it. He told me to ensure they got to... to..."

"WHERE?" Vael roared, threatening to tear one of his bones out of his torso.

"Arx! The barrels were going to Arx!" He threw up his hands, trying to fend her off.

Vael was about to give him the 'final rest' that he deserved when the Prince's hand rested on her shoulder. "What about Source? He's a Sourcerer, he can teach us." He gave Vael a meaningful look. "_Maybe _if he helps us, he walks out of here."

She looked at him curiously until she realized what he meant, then looked toward the Dwarf. "Maybe."

"What? Source? I-" He paused, his arms lowering. "Of course! You're Godwoken. You see power, _ultimate _power. Haha! And I worried we could not find common ground. Yes, Godwoken - I can teach you. If you swear you won't banish me to the afterlife?"

Vael shook him so hard his bones rattled. "You're in no position to bargain! But if you teach us, I'll let you go."

"Praise be." He whimpered. "Very well, Godwoken, listen carefully... Source and Void - day and night - love and hate - one is meaningless without the other. To grow your Source, to achieve your potential, you must embrace the Void." The skeleton reached into his armor and pulled free a small, black mass. It quivered in his bony hand, covered in veins and oozing pus. "Here, Godwoken. Take a bite."

Vael reeled back in disgust. "What in Gods' name is that?"

"The finest meal you'll find in this cave. The Heart of a Voidwoken!" He offered it toward her and she nearly gagged where she stood.

But within her, she felt Zorl-Stissa stir, that same presence she'd felt before, the voice she'd heard... they were well and truly bound if Vael could sense her even now. _'Do not fear'_, her voice whispered. _'Do what must be done...__' _Vael finally did gag at the thought, she nearly dropped Mordus.

"Perhaps not the most appetising thing around, but if you truly want to channel more Source..." The skeleton extended his arm, jiggling the heart toward Vael. A glob of dark yellow pus oozed through the bones his palm and dropped to the ground.

Keeping him aloft with one hand, Vael slapped the thing away where it landed with a wet splat in the dirt. "You are out of your mind." She spoke to both the voice within her and Mordus. "There has to be another way! Tell us!"

"You can demand until we're both dust - that's the only answer I have to give." He pointed toward the still-shuddering heart in the dirt. "If you don't like it, you can wait until they arrive to take a bite out of you instead. The decision is yours, Godwoken, but I'm not waiting around for you to make it."

Vael grinned, showing off her sharp teeth. "Oh, you're not waiting for anything."

He stared at her in shock before he realized what he meant and he began to struggle in her arms, his skull twisting into a mask of rage as comprehension dawned and oblivion opened before him. "Liar! Traitor! I hope he rips your guts out of your ears!"

He screamed in pain as Vael wrenched, pulling him apart by the very bones that supported him. His collarbones finally came loose with a crack and a snap, tearing one arm completely off of him as he finally went silent. Vael dropped the pile of bones onto the ground and stomped the skull into dust for good measure, staring down at what used to be the Sourcerer Mordus. "I said I'd let you go. Not that you'd survive it."

"Are you so sure that we shouldn't..." The Prince looked toward the heart offered them and gagged. "We don't know how many teachers there are, you know..."

"No power is worth that." Vael stared at the leaking heart resting in the dirt.


	28. Conversations With A Prince

Vael stared down at the broken and shattered remains of Mordus, then looked toward the others. "Deathfog... the Queen. There can be no justification for such a weapon. We all know what it can do."

Ifan nodded. "I've seen it in action. Personally. Such horror has no place in the world."

The Prince shrugged. "Deathfog is an instant victory. I applauded Lucian for using it."

Ifan turned to him. "What."

The Prince held up his hands. "Moral ramifications aside, it ended the war."

Ifan growled and shook his head.

Vael glanced back toward him, she supposed he hadn't heard what they'd found out. "Come on, you two. We still need to find actual proof of what he said. I wouldn't put it past someone like him to lie."

The group headed deeper into the cave, searching for anything that might prove what Mordus said. They came across a large, well lit, and most importantly for Vael, _clean _portion of the cave, without even the slightest hint of Voidwoken anything in sight. "Finally a place that isn't covered in horrible disgusting things."

She searched the room, looking for anything that might be of use. Off to one side, near a dead Dwarf, she found a new weapon she could use, though it was far smaller and lighter than she was used to- she'd need something better, and soon. Her head swiveled as she heard the Prince call to her. 

"I think I found what we need." He raised a letter in his hand. "From the Queen herself." He cleared his throat and began to read. "Lohar, Isbeil's agents inform her that the Deathfog is in your possession. It must be delivered to Arx with all possible speed. I do not know what is causing this delay, but I do know you will rectify this unfortunate error. I'm sure you know the penalty for disobedience. Do not disappoint me. Your Queen." He looked back toward Vael. "He was telling the truth."

"All the more reason for him to die." She growled softly under her breath. "Come on, we need to head back to town. Lohar will want to read this."

The trip back to town was mostly uneventful. Passing through the now-silent countryside, every now and then passing a dazed Dwarf. Every one of them that they found was directed back to town, to Lohar, and then left to make their way back in their own time. When they passed through the gate back into town, however, they found themselves accosted by a Magister. A Magister staring directly at Ifan.

"Ifan ben-Mezd, as I live and breathe! I don't know how you got free, but it'll be back to the Joy with you and no mistake."

Ifan grinned and held out his hands. "You _remembered _me."

"Who could forget? Best night's business the healer had in _months_. Now come on, back into a cage where you belong." He Magister held the cuffs out toward him.

Vael growled and stepped forward, but Ifan held her back with a hand. He put on his best charm. "I can see you want to have me locked up aaaaall to yourself, now."

The woman shook her head. "Your little tricks won't work on me, ben-Mezd."

He looked sheepishly back to Vael. "What about coin?"

Vael sighed quietly. "Sure, how about coin." She was glad they'd been picking it up piecemeal as they went... and that they had food and other necessary items back on the Vengeance. They weren't going to be doing any frivolous spending any time soon. 

The Magister looked up toward the lizard. "How much?"

Vael looked to Ifan, then to the woman. "How about... a lot?" Vael counted out a fair amount and placed it into the woman's hand.

She looked around shiftily, then coughed under her breath. "Ben-Mezd? I don't know any ben-Mezd." She quickly hurried off, leaving the group to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You know, I don't fancy fighting off the entire town, Ifan." Vael looked toward him.

He was still just grinning from ear to ear. "She _remembered _me."

They hurried on down through the tavern, through the undertavern, and quickly to Lohar's room, where Vael pulled free the parchment and waved it at him.

He rubbed his forehead beneath his hood and stared at the ground, but as Vael drew closer he stood at his full height. "So? I wanted a paper, not a man. I told you last time."

Vael grinned. "We found the paper... _and _Mordus."

His eyes widened. "You did? You found the greasy rat? Tell me everything. But wait... you have proof, right?" He looked to the paper and snatched it out of her claws, reading it over quickly. "What else did you find in the cave?"

Vael told him everything. The cave, the Voidwoken, the Sourcerer gone mad, the dead Dwarves.

He put his hand to his forehead again. "Dead... more dead." He looked up to them. "And Mordus with them. I owe you. Whole realm owes you, really, but I'll do my best to settle that debt myself." He motioned for one of his Dwarves to go fetch something she didn't hear, though she made out 'Soulforged'. 

"We found out what you were shipping. The Deathfog." She put her hands on her hips.

He sighed. "I guess there's no hiding it now. It's like this: I didn't sign up to move Deathfog. Other weapons, even soulforged weapons, sure." He watched as the Dwarf came back, bearing a beautiful and glimmering weapon in his hands, and placed it in Lohar's. "But Deathfog? Absolutely not. When we found the bomb on a Magister ship, I was told to ship it to Arx, along with the rest of the stuff. But... I couldn't." He shook his head slowly as he looked down at the blade in his hands. "I didn't want my people to have it any more than theirs. Nothing good can come of Deathfog. Nothing. Mordus disagreed, obviously. But thanks to you, he's dead."

He turned the blade over in his hands and presented it toward Vael. "You deserve something for that. Too big for my people anyway."

Vael took hold of it gently in her fingers, looking over the long, smooth, curved blade. It shimmered even in the low light, a truly magical weapon. "Thank you."

He nodded his head and stuck his fingers under his hood. "I'll go destroy the Deathfog bomb myself. Make sure no-one can get their hands on it. _Ever._"

Vael shook her head. "It's already on the way to Arx."

He froze and his face went white. "No." He looked up toward them. "What have we done..."

Vael looked to the others, especially Ifan. "We'll do anything we can to stop it." She turned back to Lohar. "I can't imagine our journey won't take us to the city of the Divine."

Lohar looked stunned. "I don't deserve your kindness. I should've told you before. I just..." He trailed off. "No. I got no excuse. I'm going to do what I can to stop the queen. I suggest you try the same. Get to Arx. End this - before Justinia does. There'll be a wedding in full swing by the time you arrive. A gal named Isla and some do-nothing type. Her father's well-placed, though. If anyone knows where to find the queen, it's him. Micheil Ros is his name. Tell him I sent you." He nodded toward them. "Arx. Wedding. Micheil Ros. Got that? Off with you, then. Time ain't on our side."

Vael nodded with a little grin, hefting her new sword up and over her shoulder. "Got it. Our list of things to do continues to grow..."

They hurried out of the undertavern and then out into the tavern itself. Vael sighed as they stepped up and into the light for what was hopefully the last time. "I've had enough of caves for quite some time, haven't you?" She looked toward the others with a smile, then groaned as her stomach grumbled and she put a hand on her belly. "Oof, I could use something to eat. What about you two?"

Ifan frowned but nodded after a pause. "I never thought I'd want to eat again after what we saw, but yes, I think that's a good idea."

The Prince inclined his head. "Maybe someone around here can prepare a proper meal. Should I do the honors?"

Vael nodded toward him. "You take care of the food. I'm getting a room. And a bath." She looked down at herself, muck encrusted and stinking so bad she was sure the Gods could smell it. She paused, thinking about it. At least one of them _could _smell it, she supposed...

She spoke to the innkeeper and arranged a room and a long, hot bath for herself, then found herself upstairs and in the lap of luxury... for a time, anyway. She scrubbed every inch of her scales that she could, cleaning herself thoroughly, then scrubbed her armor as much as she could manage. She wanted to get as clean as she possibly could, but she knew that the memories of that horrible cave where she'd found herself all alone would stick with her as long as she lived. She shuddered just to think about it.

Vael had dressed and was letting her armor dry, hanging off of the bed and various racks on the walls when the Prince pushed through the door. Vael was wearing a gown she'd found in the room, probably placed there so someone could have something to wear to sleep. She smirked at his expression as he stared at her, remembering that he probably hadn't seen her out of her armor for more than a minute or two since they'd left Joy. "Like what you see?"

He stammered a few times and pushed through the door, closing it behind himself. "An exquisite example of lizard kind." He finally answered.

Vael nodded with a large smile. "Good! Glad you think so. But you've got your Princess to think about."

He looked down as he sat at the table within their room, placing a platter onto the surface. "Most correct." He looked toward her and gestured to the food. "Come. Sit with me."

"Where's Ifan?" She sat across from him and pulled plates to herself. 

"He's entertaining one of the serving girls downstairs." He looked up to find Vael staring at him. "Not that way! He's telling stories."

She chuckled and shook her head, dipping some bread into her soup as she began to eat. "So, well me Prince, how does royalty find life on the road?"

He hummed to himself. "At first, I admit it was all rather trying. I was, after all, marched out of my own empire, and I've been hounded by the odd assassin ever since." He gestured with a spoon. "After that came the indignity of the collar and incarceration, but ever since we decided to be so bold as to bid our farewell to Fort Joy by any means, it's all been rather... fun."

Vael raised a brow at him. "Swamps and undead dwarves and the world ending and possible death are what you call 'fun'?" She grinned. "I can only imagine what the parties were like."

He smiled in return. "Oh I could complain about the food and the lodgings and the sheer barbarity of the common folk, but in truth all of that, even what you mentioned, fits within the larger frame that is adventure." He pointed toward her with his spoon. "_Adventure _is precisely what my life was missing. I told you earlier I could tell you tales about what it was like to be a prince of the house; tales that would last us a thousand nights. That is true. But I'd much rather speak of the tale we are shaping now."

Vael raised her tankard to him. She wasn't sure what was in it, water or ale or beer, but it'd do for a toast. "May that tale last a thousand nights."

He raised his own tankard toward him. "One can only hope."

She took a long draw of the tankard, it was ale after all, then looked toward him. "I'd still be interested in those stories if you found the time."

"Accompany me back to my empire, once this is all over, and I'll tell them in the palatial setting they deserve." He set about eating his food.

Vael sighed as she stared into her soup. She hoped they'd get the chance. She ate slowly, but she had to admit that she was still curious about him. "You know, you never said exactly what got you expelled. Something about a demon and Source and rivals banding together..."

He sighed rather dramatically and dropped his spoon into his bowl. "Perhaps that's because I don't quite enjoy broaching the subject."

She looked around, then back to him, giving a little smirk. "It's just the two of us. Broach it anyway."

He gave her a long-suffering sort of smile. "If I _must._" He picked up his spoon again, eating as he spoke. "The long and short of it is that I was found in bed with a demon."

Vael raised a brow at that. "Your Princess is a demon?"

"Of course not!" 

"Then how'd a demon get in your bed?"

"Because I invited her in of course, how else?"

Vael stared at him over that one. "Invited. A demon. To your _bed._ And I thought my tastes in company were strange."

He huffed quietly. "Let me paint you a picture. I am a Prince of the House of War. There are others with that title, but none of them are the Red Prince, the jewel in the crown of the Empire. I lived in the Forbidden City, a vast complex of palaces that houses the royal family and its servants. No others are allowed to enter it. As for myself, I was never allowed _out_."

Vael couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "You know, that explains _a lot_."

He gave her a haughty look as he continued. "That is the price I paid for my genius. I was too valuable to be exposed to the dangers of the outside world. All the wars I won - and I won them all of course - I won from the comfort of sofas."

Vael nodded as she thought about that. "I fought in a few of those, you know. Always wondered who was giving the orders."

He nodded his head imperiously. "Bring me information, and I will deduct, then instruct. From amid the ultimate opulence of my quarters, I expanded and very much ruled the Empire. I had it all. And frankly, I got bored."

She grinned at that. "I can't imagine you've been bored since you met me. Sounds like gilded cage syndrome, though."

"Exactly." He sighed dramatically once again. "I did not suffer the boredom of some spoiled brat: mine was the absolute absence of challenge - the longing not simply to watch the horizon, but to journey towards it. If I could not experience the joys of the world beyond, I had to bring the world to me." He gestured with a finger. "Miraculous what a Sourcerer can do with a little arcane lore. I summoned demons, the most dangerous game in the world. But they knew they met their match in me, and so we conversed; we drank wine; we played chess."

"The playing chess with a demon is almost more incredible than the being in bed with one." Vael gestured for him to continue with a bit of meat.

"Converse with demons, and you learn of the shadows behind creation. Drink wine with them, and you have visions of worlds beyond worlds. Play chess, and you know that one wrong move is certain death." His eyes were elsewhere, seeing memories and scenes that Vael could only imagine at. "My mind rejoiced. _Now for the body_, I reasoned, so with a certain succubus I spent nights that would surpass your understanding."

She grinned. "Now we get to the fun part... That almost sounds... exhilarating, if not for the incredible danger that came with it."

"So you do comprehend. I spent a whole year in the company of demons, every night atop the White Library tower of my palace. It was my great study of existence. It was my supreme joy, even if..."

She raised a brow. "Do you regret it?"

"Regret? I am not prone to such weakness of character!" He scoffed. "What happened next was simply... unforeseen." He looked down to his soup and stirred it idly with his spoon. "One moonless night, the succubus that was my lover turned to me, fangs exposed, but I could tell from the glint in her eyes that she wasn't bent on our usual fang-play."

"Fang-play. _Fang-play._" Vael rolled the idea in her mind and shook her head, she didn't want to know.

The Prince continued unabated. "There was no light in that glint. It was the darkness of the Void; the wet darkness of spilled blood. And, in short... I was afraid. I tried to move away, but it was too late. She was upon me. She had done it: she had outmaneuvered the Red Prince. Finally, I was vanquished."

Vael tilted her head to the side. "Okay, look, I'm going to regret asking, but what in the name of the Seven is fang-play."

"Oh, yes. Do allow me to explain:" He chuckled. He explained it to her quickly, leaving Vael staring at him in... she couldn't decide if it was horror or admiration or jealousy. Maybe some combination of all three. "But of course that was all still rather innocent. I could tell you all about something _truly _special some other time if you like."

Vael shook her head, unable to do anything but laugh. She gestured toward him with her spoon. "Oh yes, any time."

He practically beamed. "Something to look forward to." He lifted his head to think. "Now where was I? Ah, yes! The succubus. She went for my neck, quick as a charging cobra, but then suddenly it's as if time ground to a halt. Something deep inside me welled up: a power I never knew I had. She simply froze under my stare. Then, she screamed. A scream so abhorrent its ripples caused birds to fall dead from the sky. People covered their ears in vain as they went insane."

Vael squinted her eyes as she thought and bounced her spoon in her fingers. "You know, I think I heard about that."

He nodded once more. "The Imperial Guard forced itself into my chambers and found me with the succubus still on top of me. I believe the phrase is: caught red-handed."

She stared at his hands, then back up to him. "I don't think you could be caught anything but red-handed."

He sighed dramatically. "Indeed."

"So Brahmos is who you're seeking right. The 'legendary dreamer'?"

The Prince nodded once. "Indeed. The greatest Dreamer of them all: the one that has mastered the dark of Horrorsleep and has found a sanctuary amid its horrors."

"I can't imagine why a Dreamer would ever venture to such a place willingly."

"Because if one braves the absolute terrors of nightmare and finds sanctuary there, one is safe even from the Void." He smiled pleasantly. "That's right. Horrorsleep is a realm _feared _by the cosmic menace that is the Void. Ideal location for a summer house."

Vael chuckled softly to herself. "Good thing to have in your back pocket, that's for sure."

Ifan pushed through the door, carrying his own tankard and platter of food. "Friends! What have I missed?"

Vael looked to the Prince with a smile. "Feel like telling the stories again?"

He stood from the table and bowed with a flourish. "It would be my pleasure."


	29. The Wolf's Tale

The three friends lounged across their room, full bellies all around, all clean and comfortable after their trip through the depths of Mordus' cave. The Prince was snoozing quietly on the bed, stretched out across it, leaving little room for the other two, but Vael had a bedroll and Ifan almost seemed happy outside, so she was sure he wouldn't mind the floor. Vael idly cleaned her scales with her claws, scraping out little bits of something here and there, ensuring she'd look prim and proper for whatever trials and tribulations faced her tomorrow.

She heard Ifan's voice from across the room and leaned up, peering at him.

"So how's my favorite Godwoken?"

She smirked at him. "Favorite, huh? What about him?" She pointed her tail at the slumbering Prince, currently drooling onto his pillow.

Ifan chuckled to himself. "Well he might be the _best _Godwoken, but that doesn't make him my favorite."

"Fair enough." Vael started to lay back down, then hummed to herself. "What _was _with that fake mustache guy?"

"An old Lone Wolf colleague of mine in disguise: Callo." He pushed himself up and turned so that he could look down at her, leaning against the wall. "He's hunting Godwoken, but don't worry. He thinks you're my target." He grinned. "Poor fellow'd have an attack of the bloody flux if he knew what was _really _going on."

"So what happens when we show up at the sawmill?" Vael propped herself up with a pillow so she could watch him while they spoke.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hand you in for the bounty. You could do the same to me at that point." He looked down at his hands, cleaning his fingernails carefully with his knife. "I think we should know who hunts us and why. Just play it cool. We go in. We get answers. We leave. Nothing more to it than that."

"They won't want to keep me?"

He grinned over at her and she realized she'd missed his joke. "It has the potential to get messy. Very messy indeed. But I've got your back and you've got mine." 

She nodded slowly, thinking for a few moments. "What about that Magister we met? The one I gave half my purse to? Said you kept the healer busy."

His eyes glittered at the chance to tell the story, and Vael could tell he was practiced at it, probably a story he'd told the barmaid downstairs. His hands waved animatedly as he began to speak. Vael could tell he was going to tell her the story like he told others, and she settled in to listen. "So, underneath the tavern in Driftwood, there's a place I feel right at home: a delightful little hive of scum and villainy. A few months back, I was relaxing down there after a job. Just a hint of drudanae, you know, a _hint_. All of a sudden, a _tiger _prowls in. I jump up, but everybody else is just ignoring it. And then he picks up my scent! His eyes turn blue and he leaps to pounce on me - a fury of claws and teeth."

"A _tiger. _You said Drudanae was involved..." She snorted.

He grinned at her, then continued. "I flip the table and start scrambling for my crossbow. _Nowhere _to be found... and by now the tiger's right on top of my eyeballs, so I do the only thing I can think of: I summon Afrit, my soul wolf."

"A soul wolf, eh? I haven't seen him yet."

"He takes Source to summon, and traveling with you lot," He jabbed in her direction with his knife, a wide grin on his face. "I've had to use it for healing."

She raised her hands. "Fair enough, fair enough."

He smirked, then continued his tale. "And _now _everybody reacts! Screaming, scrambling around, pelting for the stairs. Drinks flying everywhere! And that pesky tiger? Nowhere to be seen. Turns out... turns out it was drudanae messing with me."

Vael snorted again. "Imagine my surprise."

"Stronger stuff than I was used to. Also turns out that _some people _don't appreciate spectral wolves tearing up the place, so _some people _called Magisters on me." He smirked and leaned back against the wall.

Vael slowly shook her head. "Ah, boy. That's a good one. How about another- Silver Claw. How'd that happen?"

He shook his head with a smirk on his lips. "I'll spare you the tall tales we usually tell. When a new cub joins up with the Lone Wolves, we interrogate them. Then, ah, a _very complex equation _decides their new moniker." He hummed as he thought. "I don't remember _all _the questions, but I remember enough to give you a Long Wolf name if you want one. So, tell me this: Which of these scenes attracts you the most..."

He laid out the questions for her, a dark night in a filthy alleyway, under shadows cast by the light of a full moon; felt tents in a desert oasis, the heat of the sun burning down upon her; alone and shaded by forest canopy, steps silenced by soft brush underfoot; anonymous in a busy city square full of hollering crowds and overpowering scents; or masked and dressed to the nines in an opera house, moments before the curtain raises.

Vael slowly tapped her chin as she considered, her tail swaying below her. "The desert oasis. Would remind me of home."

He nodded and raised his eyebrows, a slight smile brightening on his face. "Alright, then, target in sight, what's your preferred execution method."

Vael smirked, steepling her fingers. She knew they both knew what kind of answer she'd give, but she let him continue anyway. He laid it out for her, a hammer to the face, drinking in their final moments; a droplet here, a seasoning there, was it the bloody flux or was it _her; _unseen, slitting their throat before they even knew she was there; calling down elements or calling up demons, doing the magical work; or would she prefer to manipulate others. She gestured with her hand toward him. "The hammer of course. You know me, I prefer the direct approach."

"Riiiight." He chuckled softly to himself. "So, and I promise, this isn't just me messing with you, yours would be Dusty Kiss."

She shook her head and giggled to herself. "Nothing dusty about my kisses, I promise." 

She put her hands behind her head, watching him as he chuckled and drank more of his ale. "So, I've noticed something... you like elves quite a bit, I've heard you curse in elvish... Did you grow up among them?"

He nodded, wiping his lips and beard with the back of his hand. "I'm from the deserts of Mezd originally. My parents died when I was very young, no more than a cub. They were spice merchants, killed by bandits as we were trading on the forest roads. The elves nearby saved me afterward... they found me hiding in a wagon and... and they took me in."

Vael shifted a bit on her bedroll. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

He waved a hand dismissively. He chewed his lip, remembering. "They were my home until I was old enough to join the Order." She looked toward Ifan. "Mother Melati always said I'd have a hard life. She saw it as a _fact_, since I was born under the waxing moon."

Vael considered, trying to remember. "I think I was born under a full moon. I think. They don't exactly keep track back home, but I looked it up once. Scholastic curiosity."

"That would make you a lively one: generous and high-spirited." He glanced toward her, thinking for a moment, then nodded his head. "Sounds about right."

He chuckled. "I've been striving my whole life to prove mine wrong. To, um, _zero success_. So far."

Vael breathed a long breath. "Oh, yeah. Hasn't been easy for the last bit. No signs it'll let up any time soon, either." She looked toward him. "So you learn any tricks in the forest? Anything I could learn?"

"For sure." He grinned. "Always carry a snack." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small strip of dried raw meat. He bit off a piece and offered the rest toward Vael.

She raised a brow curiously and caught the piece when he tossed it to her, giving it a gentle nibble. "What is this?"

He just smirked, then leaned against the wall. "What else do I have to share..." He considered for a moment, then with a soft 'aha' he reached into the roll of his boot and produced a single mushroom, then tossed it to Vael too.

"Am I meant to eat this one too?"

"Oh no, I wouldn't... This one's not for eating." He grinned. "But it comes in handy if you're dining with someone who really needs to lose their life. And soon."

"Ah." Vael _very carefully _placed the mushroom off to the side.

He grinned at her and fished around in his sleeve before he pulled out a small bundle of herbs. The potent scent of drudanae hit Vael's nose in moments. He tossed her the pack as well, though she set that one down on her shirt. "The last weapon in the Lone Wolf arsenal, you know... for after the toughest jobs." He winked and tipped his fingers to his temple.

Vael heard a rustle from atop the bed and looked over to see the Prince peek his head down at Vael. "What about you? You've told us little about yourself, and you ask plenty of us."

She pursed her lips and looked down at her claws, gently cleaning beneath them. "Didn't know you were awake, sleepyhead."

He gently hit her with his pillow. "Don't avoid the question."

Ifan grinned over at her and nodded his head. "He's right. Go on."

Vael sighed softly. "Okay, okay." She gestured toward Ifan. "Like you, I was picked up here. You saw most of it if I recall."

"I did."

"I was coming here, to Driftwood, to join the Magisters. I think I told you before. I wanted to take part in their archaeological dig." She looked up, toward the outside window where the night was already beginning to fall. "I think I'd still like to see it. Anyway, a Source Hound sniffed me out. To be quite honest with you, I didn't even know I could use Source. I didn't learn until Joy what it actually was."

"I've seen you do it." Ifan motioned to his hands. "Fire and all that."

She nodded her head slowly. "That's right. The Prince there," she pointed with a finger, "Says that it's something only a few lizards could do. I'm not entirely sure I'm glad to have it, because it brings with it a terrible anger that I struggle with sometimes-"

Vael was cut off as her two friends said "We know" in unison, and she chuckled to herself.

"I know, I know. As for, you know, childhood... I'm House of War like the Prince is. I was a soldier, took part in several battles that he commanded, apparently. I served my time, I did so with distinction... but after a while, it was time to go home. I wanted to learn to run a library, like my mother. Reading scrolls, writing them, preserving them and texts, exploring discovering new things... It all seemed so exciting." She gave a sad sort of smile. "And then the first time I try, I end up here."

"Well that's not all bad, is it?" The Prince adjusted himself on the bed. "You met us."

Ifan nodded once. "That's right."

She looked over the two of them, a smile spreading steadily. "You're right. I did meet you two." She sighed and lay back. "I suppose we should get some sleep. Head out into Cloisterwood tomorrow, try to find some Blackroot... Then I suppose we move East. Find Brahmos and then the lumbermill."

Her two friends nodded to themselves, agreeing that it was a good plan. The night passed quietly as the three of them eventually dropped off to sleep, Ifan on the bench, leaning against the wall, the Prince on the bed, and Vael on the ground on her bedroll, sleeping softly.

She woke with a start, gasping for breath. She'd thought she was going to be eaten by one of the Voidwoken, the horrible one she'd faced off against in the deepest depths of the cave. She looked around herself, wiping a hand across the back of her brow. The others were still sleeping, Ifan had shifted onto his side, and the Prince was snoring softly atop his bed. Vael turned over onto her side and curled up, pulling the blanket over herself to help keep out the chill she felt running up her spine.

Vael didn't know when she woke again, but by the time she did, it was bright enough outside they wouldn't need lamps to see. She stretched herself out and yawned quietly, extending her hands over her head and her tail out along the floor. She gently scratched at her scales as she pushed herself up, the Prince was still sleeping but Ifan was already gone, probably to get breakfast or to entertain another barmaid.

The morning passed quickly, the three of them having breakfast and readying themselves for the day ahead. Ifan had purchased some more bolts, Vael had shined and oiled and cleaned her armor and inspected her new sword. It would make a good replacement for the one she'd lost, and likely would last even longer besides. They gathered at the door of the tavern, nodded to each other one last time, then set out onto the road.

The early morning gloom still covered the city as they wandered onward, mist rolling out of the hills that surrounded the Cloisterwood, their destination this morning. They ventured onward and upward, deep into the woodland, in search of Blackroot. "I remember Blackroot plants, their name should make finding them somewhat obvious. They look almost like... thick, black bootlaces winding themselves in and out of the ground. We should find at least a few good samples. Never know how many we're going to need."

Thankfully the plant didn't prove particularly difficult to locate, they found a large bunch of it winding itself around a bit of rubble and ruin that sat overgrown in the forest. Vael looked up at it curiously, realizing she was looking at some kind of church. "I guess this is why they call it the Cloisterwood." She looked to the others, then continued forward, curiosity overtaking her, just wanting a little search through the ruins.

An odd noise rose and fell within the ruined walls and stones of the old cloister, like the trickling of a stream but sharper and more intense. "What is that?"

"It sounds like lightning," the Prince offered.

Vael nodded, then crept onward. Peering around a wall she came upon an interesting sight, a group of Magisters being held at bay by a Sourcerer. One who kept summoning portals and crackles of lightning to stave them off. She looked back toward the others. "Chances that we found another of our potential teachers?"

Vael decided to try to look like she belonged, brushing off her armor and adjusting her sword on her shoulder as she stood tall and walked toward the Magisters. At worst, they'd attack her, and the others stood ready to do something about that. They might even learn a bit about what was going on here.

One of the Magisters did a double-take when he realized she was walking toward him and he motioned for her to get down. "Best you leave the building, stranger. We have Sourcerer trouble. We're trying to talk her down without a fight." He looked out over clouds of steam and electrified water. "It's not going well. Godsdamned Sourcerers."

Vael looked toward her friends and smirked, then looked back to the Magister. "A Sourcerer? Here? Noooo."

"A Sourceress, as it happens. A master of portals - and a lizard too." He looked to Vael. "And there's naught wrong with that. Our snake-scaled Sourcerer seems unable to escape, but we can't get close enough to bring her down." He shook his head. "We've chased her clear across the country, and she's left devastation in her wake. We expect a Voidwoken attack here too, at any moment. That, or worse."

She really couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation. She looked from him, to her blade, lifting her free hand to pick gently at the edge of it with a claw. "Well, I see the problem right away! Sourcerers distrust Magisters. We could always..." She looked down at him. "Remove the Magisters from the situation."

He stood and drew his weapon. "We have no time for this. You'll die first!"

Vael readied her blade. "I was hoping you'd say that."

He swung wildly at her, an attack that Vael easily turned aside. She heard gasps and thuds from behind her as Ifan and the Prince sprung upon the others, his momentary distraction was all she needed. Her new blade hummed in her grasp, lighter and easier to swing than her last, but with more reach. It felt almost perfect in her claws, a weapon that she was blessed to own. A second strike was deflected and turned aside, his blade sinking into the ground and her own slipped up and through his guard with near-frightening ease. She hardly registered his neck on her blade, and she was already turning away from him as his headless corpsed slumped to the ground.

She admired Ifan and the Prince's handiwork with a slow nod of her head. "Now let's go see if we can't figure out what all the fuss is about, shall we?"


	30. Hannag

The three of them strode through the steam and water toward the Sourceress the Magisters had been hunting. She'd seen them take her foes down, she'd stopped casting spells and instead just... waited for them to head toward her. As the smoke and mist cleared around the woman, Vael was drawn up short. She'd seen this woman before, in pictures back home. This was Hannag. The woman the Dwarf had mentioned who'd created the Deathfog device.

Vael felt Ifan's hand clutch her arm. "This is her. This is the one." He looked toward her.

She nodded her head, motioning for him to go forward. "Just make sure she's alive after!"

He growled under his breath but nodded once, then strode through the mist toward Hannag. "You! You made the Deathfog that annihilated the elves. Who do you work for? _HOW DID YOU TRICK LUCIAN?_" His voice rose until he was shouting by the end, he strode forward and gripped the woman by the throat, lifting her clean off the ground. She sputtered and choked, eyes bulging and hands flailing as he squeezed her neck tighter and tighter. As she gasped for breath, he _shook_ her.

Vael wanted to stop him, to call out for him that they needed her... but hadn't she done the same thing to Mordus? She had to trust that he'd remember to at least _try _to get information out of her before he choked her out.

"_Why? _Why did you trick Lucian by giving him a bomb instead of a portal?" He released his grip enough to let her stand, but kept his hand around her neck, it was clear the woman wasn't going anywhere.

She stared at him with a mix of terror and confusion. "What? I just made the device the Divine himself ordered, I swear! And as for _using _it, that was all Lucian and Alexandar. I was _there_... Lucian knew _exactly _what he was doing."

Ifan turned white and dropped her completely to the ground, stepping away. Vael had never seen him so shaken before. She rushed toward him, holding out an arm. "Ifan..."

He looked toward Vael. "Her complicity in the deaths of thousands has earned her own many times over. But... it's not right for _me _to take the final cut." She could see the defeat in his eyes and all the sorrows of the world weighing on his shoulders. "She was a soldier following orders. Just like me. Let her live with the torment of her actions... just as I have to."

Vael stepped closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Listen, Ifan... You didn't know."

He shook his head and moved away, looking back to Vael. "Thanks." He looks up toward the lizard woman. "She disgusts me... what kind of person would knowingly craft something like that?" His face hardened. "Lucian knew that if he _asked _me to deliver the Deathfog, I would have refused. Point blank. That's why he lied to me."

"Asking you to deliver that. To the people who raised you." She shook her head.

"What kind of person doesn't need the lie?" He looked to Hannag, who'd turned away from them, then back to Vael. "_What kind of person does the lying?"_

Vael shook her head. "Lucian has much to answer for."

He growled. "Once upon a long time ago, I would've killed anyone who even looked sideways at Lucian... not today. The Divine cared nothing for me, or for the elves. It was just a pawn. If Alexandar still lives... that son of the Void's going to wish I'd truly killed him the first time." He breathed a long sigh, then looked toward Vael. "You know, I was fit to kill Hannag. But truth be told, she's not much worse than I am. And yet, you accept me. Your... your friendship means a lot."

Vael reached out and suddenly wrapped her arms around Ifan, lifting him off the ground in a bear hug before she placed him back down. "You're nothing alike. Your friendship means a lot to me too."

He smiled up at her, nodding once. "Onwards then."

"Onwards." Vael looked back toward Hannag, then shook her head. "We don't need what she could teach us. Let's go."

They left the lizard woman standing dejectedly in the ruins.

They'd gotten what they wanted, they'd found Blackroot, now it was time to travel toward the West side of the Reaper's Coast. They had business there, several things they needed to do. Tarquin, Brahmos, the sawmill where Ifan's pack waited, much awaited them to the East. Vael was glad to finally leave the hills behind.

They traveled back, through the hills, the forests, through Driftwood and out the other side, up North along the road. They began to pass through what looked like a Paladin camp when they were hailed by one of the men standing just outside. "Halt, traveler. Who goes there?"

Vael looked back at the others and to the Paladin. "We're adventurers, taking the road East."

He laughed at them. "Ha! If you're looking for adventure, East's the way to go. It's a Voidwoken hellhole over there. Sourcerer at work. Powerful one. 'course, you _could _wait for the Magisters to sort them out. You'll be waiting."

Vael grinned at him, hefting her blade. "We've fought Voidwoken before. Like you wouldn't believe."

"I dare say you might have, adventurer. But I suspect you've seen nothing like what lies beyond, except maybe in your nightmares. Every time the Voidwoken come they're bigger and there's more of 'em. Still, you want to go East, you go East. We won't stop you."

Vael tipped a salute toward him with two fingers, then continued on through the checkpoint. Hopefully, they'd find Brahmos here. As they passed through the area, Ifan gestured toward one of the Paladins. "This one I remember. Hardwin and I served together, back in the war. Let me do the talking?"

Vael smirked at him. "Just don't choke him this time."

He laughed at her, then headed over. The two men embraced amicably enough, but Vael could tell there was a tension running under their smiles.

"Well, as I live and scarcely breathe if it isn't Ifan ben-Mezd! Thought you died in the Deathfog! Thought you died a hero, but I s'pose it's better to _live _as one." He clapped Ifan's arm. "We really gave those Black Ring what-for, eh? Wiped 'em all out in the blink of an eye. Damned proud to have served with you, ben-Mezd. _Damned _proud."

Vael winced at that, waiting to see what Ifan would do next. His face turned sour and he muttered something under his breath that only the Paladin could hear. Hardwin lost all camaraderie and blanched, stepping backward. He put one hand on his weapon. "You... you've changed. And for the worse. I'll not have the sacrifices of my fallen brothers maligned to my face. _You _survived, ben-Mezd. Be thankful for that, if nothing else."

Ifan stepped away and Vael glanced to him. She was going to ask him what he'd said, but his look said 'not now'. Maybe she'd ask him later.

She took her turn to step up to the Paladin, giving him what she hoped was a winning grin. "Ah, sorry about that, but..."

The Prince interrupted and asked if the Paladin had seen a lizard matching Brahmos' description.

Vael looked sidelong at him and muttered an 'I was gonna do that' under her breath, but waited to see if the Paladin would answer.

Hardwin told the Prince that indeed he did, but that Brahmos left in a hurry when a band of rather intimidating-looking lizards showed up. Then he informed the Prince that one of the scouts saw him heading South in the direction of the graveyard. That's all he knew.

The Prince nodded once. "I have the information I came for. He's all yours now."

Vael shook her head with a little grin. "Maybe sometime I'll let you two do all the talking since you like to do it so much..."

But, they had what they came for, so Vael really didn't need to speak to him. She motioned to the Prince, then pointed onward. If they knew where Brahmos was, they should get going. The path East out of the Paladin checkpoint was littered with Voidwoken corpses and Paladin traps, so they had to step carefully, but before long they'd broken out into the East, across the river. A road curled around toward the South, toward what Vael could only assume was the graveyard, so the group headed down that path, around the bend, and up a hill.

Up ahead they spotted Tarquin, he'd set up a little tent just outside the graveyard for himself. Vael smiled jovially at him, walking closer. "Tarquin!"

He glanced back toward them. "Look who's come to join the party. Oh, but you do get around, don't you?" He took a satisfied sniff and rubbed his hands together. His lips stretched into a mischievous smirk. "When it comes to graveyards, I'm a kid in a candy shop. All sorts of goodies and gewgaws for the taking - and a bit of rousing conversation. If you know where to dig, that is."

Vael raised a brow at that, then looked toward him curiously. "Are you looking for anything in particular, or just browsing the, ah... wares?"

"Well." He snorted. "It's not just decomposing flesh and bone dust underfoot, you know. Why the very essence of decay flavors many an essential oil and tincture. I'd expect a Godwoken to understand. Pity." He pressed a forefinger against his chin and hummed. "You understand _enough_. And there is something my heart, such as it is, is set on."

She rolled her eyes at him and couldn't help but grin at his odd mannerisms. "Okay, okay, out with it. What do you want us to find?"

"Well that's the gold-plated question, it is. I dare say you'll enjoy this story." He eyed her choice of weaponry, the long blade she carried.

Vael felt her brow raise even higher. "Go on."

He gestured back behind himself. "Somewhere in this graveyard lies an object of _tremendous _power. Or so the legends say, anyway. Belonged to a family buried near here - the Surreys. I've been reading up on them. An ancient clan of eccentrics and oddballs. Fascinating people, truly. Old Johanna was the last. The poor, poor, _poor _dear. Had no money, no children - just this incredible heirloom passed down to her through the generations." He held up a single finger. "Problem is, no-one knows what this object is - only that it's an astounding piece of work. Seems Johanna took its secrets to her grave. Rather literally."

Vael kept her brow raised. "So... you spent all this time studying the family, came all this way... and you don't know what it is?"

His grin froze and he hesitated for a moment. "It pains me to say, but you've talents in the adventuring department that I do not. And this heirloom could prove valuable. For both of us."

Vael rolled her eyes once again with a quiet sigh. "Okay, Tarquin. If you want to be cagey about it, go ahead. We'll look for it."

"Beautiful." He clapped his hands together. "The Surrey tomb must be somewhere nearby. And if whatever that object is in there, I bet it's... impressive." He turned toward the graveyard. "I do wish I could wander inside. It would be nice to look up some... old friends. See if they're in good spirits."

Vael chuckled as she moved past him, pushing open the door to the graveyard. "You have legs, you know!"

They passed inward, leaving Tarquin to his musings, and headed straight inside down the largest path. "So we're looking for a crypt. I'm guessing... underground, sufficiently large, maybe some statues." She looked around herself, shaking her head. "I never understood why Humans did this, so much space wasted." She looked back toward Ifan. "You know lizards burn their dead."

"I know. Don't ask me, I didn't start it."

The Prince sniffed. "Immolation is such a... graceful way to go. None of this horrid rotting nonsense."

Vael stopped up short as she spotted a large staircase descending into the ground. Statue out front, statues flanking the stairs... looked like a crypt alright. "I think we might have found it."

Sure enough, examining the statue out front explained a bit of the history and that this was, in fact, the Surrey crypt. "Easy enough. Now to go inside." Down the stairs lingered a door... unfortunately, it was locked.

Vael slipped to the side and motioned toward it. "Ifan?"

He stepped in, tools at the ready, and within moments had it popped open. "Nothing to this old locks, as long as they aren't rusted shut."

They passed through and Vael was instantly assailed with... dust. Dust and molder and bones. "Gods above! Look at all these bones!" There must have been hundreds, if not thousands of skulls scattered around the place. "Why are there so many?"

"Someone was collecting them, I suppose." The Prince put his hands on his hips as he looked around, then glanced to his side. "Oh, what's this." He reached out, pressing a button that poked out from the wall. There was a click and a rumble from within the tomb, some of the skulls slowly tumbling down the pile.

Vael looked to him, then Ifan. "Well... I don't see any great and powerful heirlooms in here, so I'm assuming there's a way deeper in. If one button didn't do it, maybe there's another."

Ifan found the second button quickly, and a hidden door in the wall slowly slid open.

Vael poked her head through, finding a solid tomb and... She walked toward the far corner of the room. "Are these _spectral _switches?"

The others wandered through the doorway, looking around. The Prince tried to push the sarcophagus in the center of the room open, but it wouldn't budge. "Well, switches do something, right? Try pulling one."

Vael shrugged her shoulders, then tried one. They were stuck fast, however, and wouldn't move. "Nope. It feels like it-" she gave another tug. "Wants to move though. Maybe something else?"

Ifan pointed through the doorway in the wall next to the switches, toward a large, obvious button on the floor. "Maybe that."

Vael peeked, then looked toward the others. "A volunteer?"

They looked at each other, then her, then Ifan sighed. "Fine. I found it."

He stepped into the room and over toward the very obvious button, but as soon as he stepped on it, the door slammed shut behind him. He turned to look at the two of them with a frown. "Uh... guys?"

Vael shrugged, then looked to her side. "Oh! The switches are glowing. Which one should I pull?"

The Prince peered at them, then reached for the middle lever. "What about this one?" He gave it a solid yank. The room beyond where Ifan stood began to fill slowly with water until it covered the floor. 

Vael took position near the door so she could see both Ifan and the Prince. "Still okay in there?"

"A little soggy, but I'm fine."

She gestured for the Prince. "Try another one." 

"Alright, you're left-handed, so why not..." He yanked the lever and they heard a pop from within the room.

Vael pressed her snout against the bars and gawked at the electricity coursing through the water on the floor. "Ifan!"

"I'm alright! The button's made of wood. But pull another one, quick!"

With only one lever left, the Prince gave it a yank.

Vael stared in horror as the room burst into blue flames, but to her surprise, Ifan didn't begin to scream... in fact, he started to laugh.

"Oh, that tickles." He ran his hand slowly through the flames. "I'm fine, Vael. It's blessed fire."

She breathed out a soft sigh. "Thank the Gods." She turned and looked as the sarcophagus behind them began to shift and move, slowly sliding aside to reveal a hatch in the floor. "Huh. I guess we have to get lucky sometime."

She tugged the hatch up and open, then lowered herself through when nothing immediately sprung out to bite her. She was glad she did.

Vael stood, slack-jawed at the sights before her. Massive piles of gold coins stood stacked everywhere she looked, on every surface, across the floor, against pillars, near the tomb itself that dominated the center of the room. The others were similarly dumbstruck by the sight, standing stock-still. Even the Prince seemed impressed. "I've never seen so much gold in one place." Vael gently rubbed her eyes.

Ifan whistled low. "Imagine if I'd ever found this place before. I'd never need to work another day in my life."

Vael did pause her gawking long enough to note the strange clay statues that flanked the tomb. "Well, these are giving me the serious creeps, but... Keep an eye on them and fill your pockets. We won't need to worry about money ever again, I imagine."

Ifan looked toward her. "You're not worried about ancient curses and traps?"

Vael shook her head. "Not really. Besides, Tarquin said the family line was gone, so who else is all this for? No one's coming to get it, and we need it more than they do. Between us and a dead family line, only one of us is trying to save the world."

She hurried to the piles of gold and quickly filled her coin purse, then another pouch she had within her pack. She even emptied one of her waterskins. Perhaps she was being a little greedy, but the Prince _did _say that apparently she was more in touch with her dragon lineage than other lizards, and everyone knew the stories about dragons and their hoards of gold... Maybe she was just scratching an ancient itch. She did force herself to stop after the waterskin though, her pack was already getting heavier. "Everyone satisfied?"

The Prince hadn't gathered much, Ifan looked like he'd stuffed his pockets, and they'd barely scratched the surface of what lay within the tomb. Speaking of.

Vael moved to the side of the tomb, a carven image of a woman resting upon it. She could see a spirit, likely the woman's, staring at her, but judging by the ghostly whispered babbling coming from the woman, it wasn't a conversation Vael had any interest in. She motioned for the other two to watch the statues, then gave the sarcophagus a shove. The lid slid aside to reveal... nothing. There was no body within the crypt. But there wasn't 'nothing', after all. Under a layer of dust rested an interesting, crystalline structure... it almost looked like... a sword?

Vael tilted her head and reached for the thing, an interesting, vast, unusual energy radiated from it. As Vael touched it, the thing _spoke_ to her. It was an ancient language, one Vael had to learn to read ancient texts, especially those about demons... She'd only heard it spoken aloud once or twice before.

_'When as one, I am slayer of sin and the bane of the living. Restore my twin; make me whole. In archive of old, the blade resides. An isle of blood where demons abide.'_

Vael looked to the others, who stared at her curiously. "You didn't hear that?" They shook their head, and she carefully wrapped the piece of ... blade, she supposed, in a bit of cloth from her pack. "It's one piece of two. It _spoke _to me. There's another piece on an 'isle of blood' where there are demons."

"An isle of blood with demons? Well, that can only be one place." Ifan looked toward her. "There's an island Northwest of the lumber mill, nobody ever goes there, it's covered in demons."

Vael pursed her lips. "Well, then. If we want to find the other piece of whatever this is, I suppose that's where we need to be headed. Apparently there's an archive there."

As the three of them turned to leave, there was a rigid rumbling from the tomb. Vael breathed out a quiet little sigh. "I guess we really should have been worried about traps."

"The statues! They're alive!" The Prince lifted his shield, deflecting a slow, almost languid, but incredibly powerful blow from one of them. Just the act of deflecting it seemed to be too much stress for the statue and it began to crumble to pieces.

"They're only made of clay!" Vael cackled as she lept into a group of them, swinging her sword in a wide arc. With her new blade, it was almost like swinging through tissue paper, statues all around her shattered and crumbled to dust. Between the three of them, the ancient statues didn't stand a chance, crumbled to dusty and shattered pottery debris in moments. "Well, you know, as ancient tomb curses go... That wasn't a very bad one."

The Prince nodded, putting his sword back into its sheath. "Indeed. Now remember, before we leave for this island, I must find Brahmos."

"I know, I know, don't worry." Vael patted him on the shoulder. "We'll find him."

As they climbed up and out of the crypt, their find in tow, Vael began to look for spots where Brahmos might be hiding. Then a glimpse of something through the trees gave her an idea, and she hurried ahead. Towering statues of dragons marked what could only be the lizard section of the graveyard. What better place to find a Dreamer in a graveyard than there?


	31. Sadha

As they wandered closer to the statues, Vaeltorya ran her hand slowly over the back of one of the jewel-and-gold-encrusted things. "From fire to ash... from ember to flame." When Ifan looked over toward her, she smiled. "A funeral rite. Said over the bodies as they burn."

The Prince wasn't paying attention to the two of them, though. He hurried ahead where several lizard corpses littered the ground. "A melee took place here! And look, House of Shadows assassins..." He pursed his lips, looking up to a spirit that stared at the three of them. "I dread a dream undone..."

Vael gestured between him and the spirit. "If this is your Dreamer..."

He inclined his head toward her. "There is an urgency in its bearing that cannot be denied. A lone witness to the carnage that must have happened here." The Prince addressed the spirit, who turned out to be a Dreamer, long dead, who spoke archaically and sung in a truly ancient tongue. "_Rav mudom... Anan erchet... Veytou doran..." _The song lulled them both to sleep, the melody as a lullaby, until with a start, the Red Prince woke once more.

He stared toward Vael. "She was right." He looked down at himself, marveling at his red scales anew. "I never would have believed a destiny such as this to be one I was destined for. Even hearing it from..." He looked to the Dreamer. "This confirms it. It isn't anything new."

Vael crossed her arms and smiled toward him. "I'm glad we've learned it isn't just a trick, then."

He nodded his head slowly. "A tale too preposterous to be believed, and yet..." He looked toward her. "You know that we were once dragons. All of us. Great, red dragons."

She motioned to his scales. "And you wear their colors. So is it true? What she said?"

He breathed a long, slow sigh. "Indeed. To make it happen, we must find her. The Red Princess. She will be the Mother of Dragons. That is my Destiny. What I..." He looked down.

Vael reached out for him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"It is difficult. I am so happy, to find out that it is true, it isn't a trick, something to placate me until the end comes, and yet..." He trailed off. "The end _does _come."

She squeezed his shoulder in her hand. "Not if we have anything to do about it."

He nodded once, resting his hand upon her own. "I must find her. The secret of my soul! All my life I thought she was but a dream within a dream, but she is real. She is _here_. I must go to her." He stepped away, gazing North. "If we could do this, as soon as possible." He looked back toward Vael. "It would bring me peace."

"Absolutely." She looked at Ifan. "Do you mind putting our trip to the sawmill on hold for now?"

He crossed his arms with a grin, having been listening silently. "Are you kidding? If it means possibly seeing a dragon, I'd never step foot in the sawmill again."

"It's settled then." Vael nodded once to the Prince. "North it is. I'm dying to see how this turns out."

The Prince winced slightly. "Dying indeed."

Vael gasped and put her claw to her lips. "Forgive me, that was insensitive."

He shook his head. "No matter. And don't forget, the House of Shadows continues to hunt us. The Dreamer I met only managed to elude them by escaping bodily into the dream realm, never to return. Sacrifices are being made in our names, mine and hers, so that we may sire dragons. I intend to prove worthy of these sacrifices." He turned to the old Dreamer's soul and thanked it for its aid. The old soul concluded its melody, and with it, its stay upon this world. It faded away with a faint wisp of silver-colored smoke.

Vael looked to the Prince and Ifan, resolute, and hurried North through the graveyard. They returned to the entrance to find Tarquin, wanting to see what he had to say about what they'd found before they moved onward. "Tarquin," Vael spoke his name in a singsong voice.

"Ah - you again. Any luck in old lady Surrey's tomb?" He looked to them expectantly.

Vael held out the cloth-wrapped artifact to him. "Is this what you were looking for?"

He placed his hand upon it, Vael heard it speak to him. The others seemed to hear it too, Ifan breathing out an 'it does speak' under his breath. Tarquin looked up to them and grinned. "It's true, then. Anathema, within reach."

Vael raised her brows. "_Anathema?_ Tarquin, you should have just told me, I'd have gone looking right away."

He shook his head. "Tell me. Is this all there was? There weren't any other... curios in there?"

"No. Completely empty, save for this." She gave the thing a little shake.

"Amazing. But not unexpected." He breathed a long, lugubrious sigh. "It's time I leveled with you. This is the hand-grip of the fabled Anathema. A sword capable of annihilating anyone. Even a _Divine._"

Vael smirked, glancing back toward Ifan. "With what we've been hearing lately, we might just need something like that."

He nodded. "Imagine it. Holding in your hand a force that could wipe away the sun and shadow. A sword of life and death, miracle and sin. A sword of... atonement." He rubbed his hands together. "I can restore Anathema to working condition - but this is only half of it. We still need the blade. How fortunate that the hilt has already told us where to find it. Bloodmoon Island."

Vael grinned. "We figured that out already. One step ahead of you, chief." She winked and clicked her tongue at him. "We'll go looking."

He actually grinned at that. "Well, well, well. You've got the spirit to go with those smarts." He nodded once. "Bloodmoon Island awaits, my friend. It's a bit of a jaunt, but this gives me time to prepare my workspace. We'll catch up on the Lady Vengeance, yes?"

Vael went to say something, but he didn't wait for an answer. His attention already elsewhere, planning how to work on the blade. She rolled her eyes, then motioned for the others. "Onward, a Lady of a different kind awaits her Prince!"

Their trip Northward was relatively peaceful. Out of the graveyard, along the countryside, Vael turned toward the Prince curiously. "So do you know exactly where to find your lady? Your Princess?"

He shook his head. "Only that she is stopped somewhere North. The 'ground crumbled before her passage' or something of the sort. It was more of an impression than actual instructions, you see."

Vael nodded with a smile. "I do."

They followed the road North, winding slightly East until they came upon a rather... stymying roadblock. "Uh..." Vael peered over the edge of a massive chasm separating them from their destination. "Something seems to have gone rather wrong, here."

The Prince looked over it, then back West. "The Magisters said they chased that woman, Hannag... and that she'd done massive destruction to the area." 

Vael raised a brow, then looked down again. "Could a single Sourcerer have done _this?_"

"Maybe we should have learned from her after all." When Vael and Ifan frowned at him, the Prince shrugged. "What? If she's _this _strong..."

Vael shook her head. "We need to find a way across."

Ifan put his hand to his chin. "Do you have those teleporter pyramids?"

"I do." Vael fished one out of her pack, hefting the thing in her hand.

"Throw it across." He motioned with a hand.

Vael looked to the pyramid, then Ifan, then the pyramid, her face breaking into a grin. "Ifan, you're a genius."

"I have my moments. Go on." He waved a hand dismissively, then pointed across. "You have a better arm than me, I imagine."

Using Ifan's solution, they found themselves across the way in record time, heading onward and upward. The country in this area was tremendously disturbed and showed signs of massive voidwoken attack, flames, and pools of poison, the very air was hot and harsh to breathe. They passed through wrecked houses, burning fields, but the more West they went as they went North, the easier it was to breathe, whatever was causing the air to be so bad didn't seem to be reaching the Western part of the approach, so that's where they stayed.

They came to a large area that didn't seem quite so damaged, further away from the epicenter of the attack. They climbed hanging vines to ascend cliffs, slowly traveling further and further North. The further they went, the more excited the Prince got. "She's close now... I can feel it."

They ascended a final cliff, the tallest one yet, and as they pulled themselves over the cliff face, Vael saw her. Standing there, resplendent in the light glimmering off of her gold-trimmed clothes and scarlet scales, there she was. Vael stood-slack jawed, the Prince climbed up, gave her an odd look until she nudged him in and pointed.

His grin grew so wide it looked like it might split his face in two, and Vael saw a shimmering in his eyes. "There she is."

Vael was jealous, his partner was drop-dead gorgeous. "Go get her."

The Prince rushed forward toward her, Vael hung back to let him have his moments with her in peace. She knew he likely needed something like this, and she didn't want to get in the way. He approached her, went down on one knee, and courteously kissed her hand.

Vael couldn't help but creep close enough to catch whatever scant bits of conversation that she could.

"You do not disappoint, my prince. You are every bit the gentleman they said you'd be." The Princess demurely bowed her head. "How very pleasurable, is it not, to finally meet in the flesh? For it is very much in the flesh that we must meet after all. Become one. Ur-father, life-shaper: this is what the goddess called you. How good you, dear prince, that you have come to shape life in me."

The Prince looked back to Vael, she could see the look on his face was ecstatic. She motioned for him to continue. "Go on, then!"

The Red Princess smiled, moved her body against his, and put her arms around his neck; her mouth was hot against his ear. "Let's forget for a moment all the forces that drove us here, shall we, my prince? Let us think of nothing but ourselves, one amid a nest of satin. You and I, we know each other as only true lovers do, so at long last, let us become lovers."

"By my empire, yes. At long last." He looked to Vael and Ifan, shooing them away with a hand. "Why don't you go enjoy a walk, a nice... long stroll while the lady and I enjoy a more private moment."

Vael shook her head with a chuckle. "Come on, Ifan." She took the human by the arm and led him away from the cart. "We'll keep watch. Just..." He raised his brow at her. "Not like that! I meant, you know what I mean. The man's still being hunted by assassins, after all."

Ifan shook his head and grinned. "I know, I know. It's fun to make you squirm."

"Ha ha ha. Very funny." Vael went far enough away that they wouldn't be eavesdropping, but close enough they could be available should something go wrong.

They settled down under a nearby tree, leaning back and relaxing in the quiet of the burgeoning afternoon. They'd had a busy day, rescuing Sorcerers from Magisters, a little bit of tomb-exploring and what could probably be called grave-robbing, and now they'd finally introduced their Prince to his Princess. At long last. "You know, I wonder if history will remember the little part we played in this."

Ifan raised a brow questioningly at her.

"You know! Bringing back dragons. I mean, we didn't _really _have anything to do with it, but... we're _here._" She looked toward the carriage. "Sort of."

He chuckled softly. "If what we've been told by you-know-who is anything to go by, we're likely to be remembered for something else."

Vael waved a hand. "Maybe, but... _dragons. _You have to admit that trumps almost anything else we could possibly do." She looked up as the carriage door opened. "Speaking of..." She pushed herself to her feet as the Red Princess and the Prince exited the carriage. She caught an odd movement just out of the corner of her eye as a group of pale-skin lizards appeared practically out of nowhere.

Their commander, a particularly vile-looking lizard, began to speak, chuckling as he addressed the couple. "Well, well, well, look who's coming up for air! Mighty powerful noises I heard coming from that there carriage. Teensy bit jealous, I am."

"Silence!" The Prince looked like he might explode from the outrage of it. "You will bow before us and explain this intrusion, or by the Seven I will cut you down where you stand!"

The commander began to speak again, but instead of the Prince... he addressed the Princess. "My oh my, you didn't tell lover boy anything, did you, dollface? Naughty, naughty! You've been played for a fool, little prince. She's sworn to another! That's right... Your boo is betrothed to a very different kind of king. All she needed from you was a dollop of prophecy juice. I dare say she got it."

The Princess swung an arm toward him. "You utter villain!"

Vael hefted her blade with a quiet growl, letting it settle lightly on her shoulder. She wouldn't move until the Prince said to, but she was liking this conversation less and less by the moment. She saw Ifan do the same, readying his crossbow to fire.

The lizard commander noticed them, however. He looked at Vael and licked his lips.

The Red Prince gently cupped Sadha's face in his hands. "Sadha, my sweet, our meeting has been shrouded in mystery, but know that I'll do right by you. Know that I love you!"

"And I love you! Together we will brave it all. Even..." The lizard-Princess's voice trembled. "The king."

The pale-faced lizard placed his hands near his head with a quiet 'aww'. "Ain't that as sweet as a bowl full of peaches! Hate to be _that guy_, but I gotta break up the party now." He pointed toward Sadha. "Time for you and your belly full of litter to crawl back to the king, darling! Gonna get me some private time with prince charming myself!" He grinned, revealing blackened teeth. "I've always had a soft spot for red meat."

Vael tightened the grip on her blade as she stared at the pale-skinned lizard. "You're gonna regret that."

The scene erupted into bloody violence within seconds. Sadha herself vanished, a puff of scarlet smoke, reaching out for the Prince as she disappeared, but he was already pulling free his sword to face the pale-skinned lizards and the caravan's own guard who'd taken a swipe at him. Vael knew that every moment they had left with the Prince was borrowed time from here onward, but she was going to extract as much time as she could.

She careened forward recklessly with a roaring scream, bowling into two of the lizards as her hands burst into flame. Her new sword, soulforged as it was, seemed to react even more explosively than her old weapon had; it was positively wreathed in towering flames. Every swipe of her weapon, every slash, every slam, produced sympathetic flames that radiated out from the strike. She cut one of the pale lizards near in half, ducked the slash of the next, only to find him already falling back, gurgling, with a bolt in his throat. 

She turned to the Prince then, charging toward him as he battled two more of the lizards, the caravan guard already writhing on the ground with a mortal wound. Vael shoulder-tackled one of them, sending him careening into the side of the carriage with the sound of wood splintering under the impact. She crashed bodily into him in the next instant, the force snapping his head back so hard Vael heard it hit the surface behind it. She didn't even bother with her sword, her hands grasping either side of his face. He screamed as flesh and scale began to crackle and burn, raising his own hands to pull her away She wrenched his head to the side, the sick-sounding snap of bone breaking as his neck broke the last sound he ever heard. 

Vael pulled away from the carriage, looking for her next target, but there was none. The Prince seemed almost as angry as her Source-driven rage, especially as with the battle over it slowly cooled back down to a manageable level. "Are you alright?"

He looked to a satin handkerchief that had been tied around his wrist. "No, I'm not alright!" He scowled; his eyes two ember specters. "She gave me this handkerchief. Something to remember her by. Who would have thought so soon would come our parting. The longing of a lifetime squeezed into a few short hours of perfection... only to end with blood and bereavement."

Vael reached up and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Prince. We should have noticed them instead of relaxing back and enjoying the sun."

He looked to her, then down to the scarlet cloth he'd taken between his fingers, gently rubbing the softer scales against the satin. "I wonder if I'll ever see her again. Before..."

"You will." Vael smiled, nodding to him. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll get you to her again."

"Thank you." 

Vael reached forward and hugged him tight against herself, trying to comfort him. He hugged her back, but when she moved to let go... he didn't. She was somewhat surprised by this but decided to just let him hug as long as he wished. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling now, she couldn't possibly but herself in his shoes.

When he finally pulled away, Vael could tell he was somewhat embarrassed, but he smiled warmly nonetheless. "We've become... very good friends, haven't we? Yes. Very good friends."

Vael reached up and gently patted his cheek. "Don't go getting any ideas, my Prince. You have Sadha."


	32. Roost

With Sadha met and the Red Prince living on borrowed time, Vaeltorya couldn't help but feel like there was a brand-new sense of urgency about their mission to learn as much as they could about the Source and how to use it. She still harbored hope that there was some way, any way, to prevent the Prince from befalling the second part of his foretold tale... From their perch high above the rest of Driftwood, they could see quite a distance. The lumbermill and beyond, Bloodmoon Isle.

Vael looked to the Prince and Ifan. "So, the sawmill, then the island? Sound like a good plan to you two?"

They nodded in turn, and the trio set off. They traveled back the way they'd come, through the ruined terrain, until they were on more-solid ground once again and glad for it. Their trip back West was far less eventful than the journey East had been, moving through idyllic forests and hilly paths once more. As they drew closer to the sawmill, they heard an odd sound carried upon the air, like chanting.

Ifan looked up, peering around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. "I know that sound. Come on."

He led them onward and around a bend in the path, up a small hill, until they came upon a small elven encampment. Vael was amazed, had they somehow stumbled upon Saheila's people at last? She'd almost forgotten about Amyro and the others, it felt like so long since they'd been on Fort Joy. As they approached, Ifan said something to one of the guards, then gestured for Vael to go forward. "Do as they do, do as they ask. Go. This is once in a lifetime."

Confused, but nodding, Vael hurried up the hill. She seemed to have arrived in the middle of something much like a funeral, and she wasn't sure if she should interrupt, but of all people, Ifan should know what he was doing, right? Vael stepped closer to the elves gathered around the body, watching what they were doing and the one on the ground. One of them, someone who seemed to be an elder or leader, was chanting.

"Blood to earth to wood to birth. The blood of Sarias to this earth." The elven woman stood over the body of a fallen elf, her head bowed and hands raised.

Unsure of what to else to do, Vael offered up the tiniest of prayers to Zorl-Stissa. Deep within, she felt a gentle stirring. _'Deference at last.' _Vael felt her cheeks flush beneath her scales but stepped forward toward the elves. "I am sorry the kin of the Empire have not always respected elven ritual. I would... watch, if possible."

The tallest of the elves, the woman Vael supposed to be the leader, tilted her head in acknowledgment, then turned back to the task at hand. She placed the tip of a long-bladed spear on the dead elf's chest-bone, then intoned again. "Blood to earth." He companions reached out and grasped the spear, ready to plunge it into Sarias's heart.

Vael glanced back to Ifan, insure of what to do, and he mimed taking the spear in hand. She stepped forward just enough to do so, grasping claws around the haft.

"Blood to earth!" Together, the group plunged the blade deep into Sarias's heart. The elves then twisted the blade three times, in a practiced motion. Blood flowed freely to the ground, and Sarias's heart lay open to the world, neatly cut in four. "Blood to blood!" Each warrior plucked a piece of heart and placed it in their mouth. Chewing solemnly, the leader looked to Vael expectantly.

She swallowed hard, it seemed like she _would _end up eating something's heart after all, but at least this one wasn't- she closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it, then reached down and plucked a piece for her own. Trying to think of it as anything other than a bit of elven heart, she put it in her mouth and chewed. It tasted as raw as heart-meat could, with a supple texture, slick with fast-congealing blood. Vael very quickly felt ill, but she soldiered on through. She had probably had worse at some point in her life.

The elven woman looked on with what Vael _hoped _was at least some measure of approval. "Sarias is a warrior, proud and true. Blood to blood. Earth to earth. Wood to wood. Birth to birth. Sarias becomes his tree. May Sarias take root."

Vael half-listened as she tried to get the taste out of her mouth, then went still, and looked up- did she just do what she thought she did? The elves reached down and took hold of Sarias' body, then gave it a gentle shove. The elven leader looked to Vael and shook her head subtly, telling her she shouldn't help, and the lizard stood back. The body rolled to a stop at the bottom of the pit while the elven leader stood and stared at her fallen comrade.

Vael breathed out a quiet gasp as, before them, a spirit emerged, growing strong and true... a tree. She _had _done what she thought. She looked back to Ifan, who grinned and gave her a thumbs up. She looked to the odd... tree... spirit and stepped closer. "Are you..."

The tree-form spirit slowly, oh-so-slowly, became aware of her. When he spoke, it was low and slow; he grumbled as if in discomfort or in pain. "I see you."

"How... how did you die? What happened?" Vael gently wiped some of his blood from her mouth, she wasn't sure if that was disrespectful or not.

The spirit spoke, but as it did, she could hear the pain in his voice. "A Lone Wolf took my life... as I tried to take hers... she fought the battle well... at least as well as I... the mill... ran red with blood. Much of it was mine!" He gasped in apparent pain.

"What's wrong? Does... your death pain your still?" She wasn't sure to make of what was happening.

"No! Not at all. This pain right now is from taking root. This pain is good! This pain..." It growled. "Is life!"

Vael gave a little smile and bowed her head, stepping away from the tree. She turned toward the elven leader she'd helped with the ritual. "What happened? Why did you attack the lumbermill?" Ifan stood off to one side, looking contemplative.

"That is our business." The elven woman didn't turn to look at her. "I thank you for honoring Sarias. But perhaps it is best if you move on."

Vael slowly nodded her head. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you then. I..." She looked to the burial pit. "I don't doubt it's been a difficult day."

The elven woman nodded and looked back into the pit where her comrade lay. "We lose too much. We lose our homes. We lose our safety. We lose each other." She looked into Vael's eyes, her face set in a fierce frown. "It is enough. _No more._"

"I'm sorry. Understand. We've all lost much."

"I do not doubt it. The Void is too close. It pulls us all toward it. If we do not hold fast, we disappear inside it." She looked at Vael. "You attempt to honor us during the ritual. You attempt to honor Sarias. You help remember him. But we need help still, or we perish here. Not only these people here but _all _of us."

Vael glanced over as Ifan moved closer, wanting to hear what this was about.

The elven woman glanced to him, then back to Vael. "I wonder if you honor us once more."

Ifan nodded, glancing to Vael as he did. "What do you need?"

She looked between Vael and Ifan. "It is something of great importance, to me and to my people. Our home forests are gone. The great trees are cut to pieces. The memories inside them... nearly lost. The become nothingness unless we find our Scion."

Vael's brow raised. "A scion? They're like seeds containing all elvish memories - a safeguard against the destruction of the Ancestor Trees."

"Yes. There is nothing more important than a scion." She gestured around them. "We lose our forests to the poachers, to the fog, to the Divine Order. We lose each other to the wars. A Scion is our only hope to survive. To build again. And _this _Scion... She- she is..." The elven woman's voice caught in her throat. "She is my daughter. Her name is Saheila. And she is taken from us. That is why we come here. That is why we lose Sarias. To find her. If she is lost, if our Scion is lost, all our people are lost. She is _everything_."

At this even the Prince started paying attention, looking up from where he'd been standing, arms folded as he stared contemplatively at the ground. Saheila was with them on Joy, they all knew her.

The elven woman's mouth tightened to a thin line, her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched. "Do you know the Lone Wolves?"

Vael caught herself almost glancing to Ifan, then she nodded. "I've heard of a group of mercenaries who go by that name."

"Yes, just right. They care for gold - not life. Saheila is taken to Fort Joy - and the wolves steal her from there."

Vael did glance back to the others then, so that's how she got off the island.

The elven woman continued. "But she is strong. She is calm. She sees so much - too much for one so young. We come here to get her back. To bring her home. She is everything to me; she is everything to us."

Vael nodded her head. "We'll see what we can do."

The woman bowed her head. "You _honor _us. I fear it is impossible for one of my kind to enter their base. They know we are here; they expect us. She is taken by their leader - a savage man named Roost Anlon. I do not know why. But I know she must return to me. If I lose her... I _cannot _lose her. We plan another assault. We cannot give up. It is better for us all to die than for Saheila to be lost." She looked out through the trees, toward the mill. "I only hope perhaps you find her before then. Good luck."

Vael turned away from the woman, shooting Ifan a loaded glance as she started back down the hill. She looked to them once they were out of earshot of the elves. "This complicates things."

Ifan shook his head. "I'm sure we can figure it out. Somehow."

Vael chewed momentarily on her bottom lip. "I sure hope so."

The approach to the lumber camp proved to be a _literal _minefield, scattered with traps and barrels and oil slicks waiting to burst into flame at the slightest touch. When Vael very nearly lost her tail to one such trap, she set a stick on fire and threw it ahead into the next oil slick, setting hidden rivulets aflame that traveled from barrel to barrel to blow them to bits and burn the whole thing at once while she stood a safe distance away until the flames went out. They made sure that the fires didn't travel to other parts of the forest, then once they were out, continued on.

Ifan remained silent through it all, she wasn't sure if that meant that this was new or if he wanted to see if she knew how to get through the old traps... it also meant she didn't know how he felt about her circumventing them. The lumbermill loomed ahead, as they crossed the bridge, the grim-faced guard at the head of it raised his weapon - then stopped short and bowed respectfully. "Ifan ben-Mezd, as I live and breathe! Didn't think we'd be seeing you again so soon, sir."

Ifan stepped forward. "Is Roost here?"

"He is. He'll be glad to see you, too. Glad as Roost gets, anyway." The guard looked over the others, then back to Ifan. "He's hoping you'll bring... friends." He winked so hard and so theatrically that one whole half of his face seemed to squint.

Vael rolled her eyes and was glad when Ifan pushed past the man.

"Roost's upstairs in the big house there, sir. He's waiting for you - reckon he's as eager to hear how you've been _getting on _as the rest of us." The guard waved the others past as Ifan went.

As they moved through the lumbermill toward the building where Roost was, Vael leaned over toward Ifan. "This whole place stinks... I don't think we'll be walking out of here as easily as we came in."

He nodded slowly, glancing toward her. "Just don't touch anything and let me talk."

They traveled up the stairs, up into the building, to find Saheila, bound before a massive man that Vael could only imagine was Roost. Surrounded by two massive wolves as large as he was, and backed by two bodyguards in the back of the room, he certainly made an imposing figure. He loomed over the small elven woman, his hair a tangle of matted knots. Scars upon scars crossed every inch of visible flesh, from his hands to his gnarled face. He slurped _something _into his mouth, thoughtfully chewed for a moment, then spit it on the ground, where it landed with a sickly splat. "It don't work. For me, anyway. You try."

Vael glanced to Ifan, who gestured for her to be silent.

He offered Saheila something round and slippery, like a wet, white marble in the palm of his hand.

"I do not defile the dead." Saheila looked up toward where the man's voice was coming from.

"Ain't you an elf?" He seemed genuinely confused by her answer.

"We eat flesh to honor it. Not to steal the secrets of the dead."

"Secrets, secrets, they're no fun. Secrets, secrets... _hurt someone."_

Ifan cleared his throat. Roost turned to face the trio and roughly wrenched the elf's jaw toward them as well. "Well, look at that, elf. The Silver Claw is back. Ifan, old boy! You're losing your bloody touch. Your mark, Alexandar, still draws breath. And my sources tell me he's headed somewhere called the Nameless Isle. I'll be setting sail there myself any day now to take him out. _Your _failure has put the reputation of _all _wolves at stake."

"We-" Vael was silenced by Ifan nudging her.

"But! I suppose I might be swayed to forgiveness by the other little Godwoken morsels you've brought me..."

Ifan's voice growled low. "Stay away from the Godwoken, Roost. They're _mine_." Ifan stepped between Vael and roost, head high and hands wide. "I can't let you take them, Roost. You _know _me. You know you can trust me. So, believe me when I say this is bigger than any contract."

"That's not how it works. Let the rest of the world worry about right and wrong, good and evil._ We've _always had a... narrower focus. And that's not about to change now." He narrowed his eyes. "We've had good times, ben-Mezd. We've had bad times. But this is the best time of all. You, just dancing a contract right into my lap. What else are friends for?"

Roost lunged, but Ifan was quicker. With two steps and three stabs of his favorite hidden knife, he slowed Roost down just long enough for Vael to bring her weapon to bear and block the incoming strike. The second-floor room was cramped and claustrophobic, but Vael had been in far worse places than this the last few days. She wasn't about to let some jumped-up mercenary stand between her and what she was meant for. She blocked Roost's next pair of strikes, the man wielding two clubs, blunt weapons for a blunt man, then swiped low at his already injured legs.

Ifan moved out of swinging range, putting a crossbow bolt between one of the wolves' eyes faster than Vael had seen him draw the weapon. He dove under the desk in the far end of the room, giving it a kick to upend it, creating a shield between himself, Roost, and the wolves.

Vael leaped into action, barreling into the other wolf, sending it skittering across the floor with the gnashing of fangs and jaws. She slammed her elbow down into the thing's head, sending its jaw crashing into the floor, then had to duck another pair of swings aimed at her own head. The Prince charged, the red satin handkerchief still wrapped around his wrist, shoulder-checking Roost onto his already weakened leg. The man yelled obscenities as he toppled to a knee.

The Prince hacked at him, drawing blood through the massive man's armor, despite his scars, then yelled in pain when the surviving wolf managed to slip away from Vael and grab hold of his leg. Vael stabbed her weapon forward, piercing through the wolf's ribcage; it snarled, whimpered and died.

Ifan was backed into a corner by the two bodyguards, wrestling with one for their weapon while he danced around the other, keeping them out of attacking distance and their friend between them and himself. Vael withdrew her blade, and in near-unison with the Prince, stabbed through Roost, her blade low, his high, sticking out of the man's chest. She wrenched her sword free, then charged across the room with a roar, slamming into one of Ifan's assailants, the Prince the other.

They finally went down under hacking blades and repeated strikes, leaving the room in silence and drenched in the blood of the combat. Vael breathed a quiet, slow sigh. "I'm sorry, Ifan."

He shook his head, looking over the room. "They were going to find out sometime. It was always going to come to this." He looked... genuinely sad at this turn of events, but Vael and he both knew he was right.

"Maybe we can find out something of what's going on here, who's hunting us." She gestured with her head toward Saheila, who was listening intently and calmly as they spoke. "And why they had her."


	33. Pavement

Vael kneeled near Roost, wondering if he had anything of note on him and poking through what pockets weren't irreparably clogged with blood from his death. She could see his spirit standing over her, staring down at her with murder in his spectral eyes, but she knew he couldn't do anything to her. Not anymore. Something that bothered her, something that deeply unsettled her to her very core, was that up here, in Roost's room... there were spirits of children lingering here and there. She'd seen them 'come out' from wherever they'd been hiding once the fighting stopped, some seemed confused, others stared at Roost's body with a degree of hatred that only a child could muster with all the intensity of their unbridled emotions.

Resting silently in one corner of the room was something that Vael never thought she'd see again in her life- had _hoped _she'd never see again. She recognized the black frame and purple, shadowed, misty glass... She'd never thought she'd see another Black Ring mirror. She'd never had a chance to examine the one they'd had back home too closely, it had always been kept under lock and key and heavy guard, but she knew they were _bad _news. Why the Lone Wolves had it, she could only imagine.

Eventually, in one of Roost's relatively un-tainted pockets, she found something. She held it up at almost the same time as Ifan pulled another piece of parchment from a trunk at the foot of Roost's bed. "I found something," they spoke in near-unison. They looked at each other and smirked, then the Red Prince gestured for them impatiently, seeming unsettled by their ghost-ridden surroundings.

"Well out with it then, what are they."

Vael hummed, placing her paper on the desk after she turned it back over from where Ifan had kicked it over to take cover. "It's a contract! From the Divine Order..." She read it over carefully, her fingers tracing the words as she finally looked up to the others. "And it pre-dates Alexandar."

"Interesting, because I have one here from the Black Ring." He placed it down on the desk near the one that Vael had found. "It seems we're being hunted on two sides."

"That is... unsettling news." She pointed toward the mirror. "Do you know what that is?"

Ifan nodded, but the Prince shook his head. Vael looked up at him, smirking. "You mean I know something that you don't?"

He crossed his arms and frowned at her. "Is this really the time to be basking in your glory?"

"Sorry, sorry." She couldn't help as her smirk slowly turned into a grin. "Anyway, that's a _Black Ring _mirror. That's how they communicate with each other so efficiently. They're always paired, one with another. I'm hesitant to look into it, but... whoever's on the other side is likely the one who put out the Black Ring's side of the contract on us."

The Prince gestured toward the other letter. "And who put the Divine Order contract on us?"

Vael sighed quietly. "I... have a guess but I don't want to say it out loud because of what it could mean."

Ifan crossed his arms over his chest. "Lucian."

The Prince looked at them both. "Why would _the Divine_, who was himself a Godwoken, put a contract out _on the Godwoken._"

Vael slowly shook her head. "I don't know. But I intend to find out. Come on."

She moved over to Saheila and gingerly helped the woman up. "I'm sorry it took so long to get you up. We needed to learn some things first."

Saheila shook her head. "I know you come. I know you do. I know I only have to wait."

"Are you okay?" Vael gently began to unbind her hands. "We need to get out of here before more Lone Wolves show up."

"I am fine. I am fine when I return to my people." She looked around, still blindfolded. "Do we return now? To the others? My people wait for me nearby."

"Yes. We met your people, we promised to bring them to you." Vael gently took the woman by the arm.

"Yes. _Yes. _Thank you. I see you so clearly; I see the goodness in you. Let's go!" The odd way the woman spoke unsettled Vael just a little bit, but she took her arm and hurried onward with her. She couldn't imagine what would be waiting for them outside.

As they passed Roost's spirit, Vael looked at him. He stared at her with such hatred that the sight of her looking at him seemed to send him into a fit, he ripped out his own hair, which grew back in moments. "Who put the contract on Godwoken."

"_God _did." He spat at her. "Go eat nails. Do us all a favor and _die._" He reached out, tried to strangle her as she moved past him.

"That's all I needed to know." She quickly hurried Saheila down the stairs.

They ran through the building as quietly as they could and as quickly as they dared, trying to sneak past as many of the Wolves as they could manage. Vael didn't want to risk Saheila getting hurt, and she didn't want to make Ifan fight any of his old friends and comrades if they could help it. She knew they'd have to fight _some _of them to make it out of the front door, but some were better than all. Vael motioned to one of the Wolves on a lookout post high over the mill, Ifan nodded and moved to get ready to take the shot. Vael charged out from under the cover of the building, leaping up onto the walkway where the other overwatch guard stared out over the road in front of the Mill.

The Prince moved down across the walkway as fast as his claws could take him to keep the guards at the bottom for running to get help from the others. Vael took down the upper guard as the Prince engaged the two on the lower, she could hear a grunt, probably one of Ifan's bolts slamming home, and then the Prince cut down the other as she came into view. Their group rushed out of the sawmill, leaving the area behind, the other Wolves hopefully none the wiser for long enough for them to escape.

They ran at full tilt- or as quickly as Vael dared with Saheila in tow- out across the approach, past the traps they'd disarmed earlier, through the barricades until they reached the woodland and the relative safety of the elven camp. Saheila, somehow, seemed to know the way from here, rushing ahead, up the slope, into the camp, the guards staring in wonder.

The elven woman they'd seen before turned, arms outstretched. "My baby! My girl!"

Saheila leaped into her arms, wrapped around the woman. "Mother!"

Vael hurried up the slope behind her, chuckling all the way. "And I thought she was blind," she muttered.

Saheila turned and pointed toward Vael. "My dearest friend. The one who saves me."

"You give us everything." Her elven mother sighed.

"Thank you for helping me. Without you, I am already dead."

Vael rubbed a hand along the back of her neck. "The others were there too, you know."

The elven woman gestured across the three of them. "You save us all. My girl is back. Our Scion is back."

Saheila looked at the three of them, directly at them. "I know what you need. And I can help you. _We _can help you."

Vael looked to Ifan and the Prince. "What do you mean?"

Saheila crouched down and placed a hand on the earthen ground. "Can you hear them? Their roots stretch beneath us, even now..."

Vael crouched, placing her hand on the ground. She motioned for the others to do the same, but Ifan was already doing it almost as soon as Saheila had, he seemed to know what she was doing. "Hear what, exactly?"

"I will link you. You will hear them. They will feed you. Increase the Source in you. Increase the power." Saheila looked intently at them.

Vael's eyes widened as she realized what Saheila was doing. "_Oh._"

Saheila leaned closer, her eyes directed toward the ground. She smiled, just a moment, then it was gone.

"I think we're ready."

"Good. Very good." Saheila pressed her hand over Vael's, she motioned for the others to move closer, to join in. The Prince and Ifan scooted closer over the ground, placing their hands over Vael's, and then Saheila repositioned hers over theirs. "I hold my hand over yours. We breathe together. We call the spirit of the trees to us. Close your eyes."

Vael did as she was told, she could only hope the others would do the same. She imagined they would.

Saheila began to whisper softly, directing them to breathe. "Inhale and exhale." She set a slow pace, slow and steady, calming them as they listened to the forest around. "Inhale and exhale." Vael could feel herself starting to open up. Maybe it was Saheila's help, her Goddess helping in her own way, she wasn't sure, but there was something. "Inhale..." Saheila's voice seemed to trail off as other voices fluttered in. Whispers, at first, then gentle murmurs like water over rocks.

The wind of the voices entered her as she and Saheila breathed together, as she and the others breathed together. It traveled down her throat, into her belly, around her heart. Suddenly, her blood ran icy cold, she felt it from Ifan's hand atop her own - then, just as suddenly, it warmed again. Each breath made her stronger. The voices fortified her, quickened her pulse, made a space in her heart where - yes, she felt it - a great power could inhabit her.

Vael exhaled slowly and the voices - all but one, no louder than a whisper, fluttered away. The space remained. She kept her eyes closed, listening to the whisper that stayed behind. She could hardly hear it, it was so quiet, but she risked losing track of it. "Saheila, what's this whisper?"

"It is the voice of the trees. Of the mother. It will remain with you, now. I hear it, too - beautiful and strong. Yours will grow if you let it. It will shrink if you do not. We are connected now. You and I. You and all our kind."

Vael nodded, slowly opening her eyes. She wondered what the others would think, back home. Connected to the elven ancestor trees... Somehow, the thought was more comforting than whatever she might have connected with had she taken the offer from Mordus... "Thank you," she spoke toward Saheila.

The woman nodded. "You help us more than you know."

Vael stood slowly and groaned under her breath. She felt like she'd been on the ground for far longer than she really had. Deep, deep inside of her, she heard a quiet stirring. Zorl-Stissa calling for her. She rolled her head, gently cracking her neck. She looked to the others, they seemed to have felt it too. "We should return to Siva."

They hurried back to Driftwood as quickly as their legs could take them, past the graveyard, past the Paladins, down the road until they finally reached Driftwood. A sense of urgency that Vael knew wasn't entirely her own drove her onward, drove her to push a little harder than she might have otherwise, and by the time they'd reached Driftwood she was nearly exhausted, and the sun was beginning to set. They'd traveled long and hard across the Coast today, but they'd made excellent progress, she felt.

They finally reached the Meistr's basement and opened the hatch, dropping down into the dark below. She was honestly worried that Siva might not be here, or that she'd be dead, but there she was. Vael wasn't even sure that she'd moved in the time that they'd been gone... but she had to have, hadn't she? As Vael closed in, she noticed that some of Siva's scales had dropped to the floor.

Vael thought she might be dead until she stepped close enough to see the woman's gentle breathing. She patted the woman's hand with her own gently, and Siva sat up with a start, looking around at them before she regained her focus. "What news? Can you channel enough Source? Are you powerful enough to proceed?"

Vael really, desperately, wanted to ask if the woman was okay, but she knew she'd likely just be scolded for it and so kept the questions to herself. "We are."

"Blessed news. Hurry, perform it again. Go." She motioned for them to move on.

Vael grit her teeth, she hated leaving the woman like she was as Siva slumped back down, like just talking to them had taken all of her energy for the day. She did what needed to be done, she gently pricked her scales with the knife, she dribbled the blood over the root, set it down upon the grate and put her hand upon the lever. Vael looked to the others. "Ready?"

When they nodded, she turned the lever and set the mixture alight. Just like before, it smoldered, then burned, silvery-green smoke rising and wafting up off of the burning root. Vael leaned in close, the others at her side, and breathed deeply, pulling the smoke into her lungs. She held it there, waiting for the sensations to begin, and she didn't have to wait long. The world swam and spun and fell away.

She found herself on her feet this time, maybe she was finally getting better at this strange... inner soul-diving, but she felt... wrong. Something greatly alarming had happened, and she didn't know what. She hurried across the chasm, the self-constructing bridge, to where she knew Zorl-Stissa would be waiting.

As she hurried closer, Zorl-Stissa greeted her with outstretched arms, even though her face was marred by a pained grimace. "My, my, how you positively brim with Source. No wonder, after all the adventures you have had; all the things you've had to do..."

Vael swallowed heavily as she looked at the woman. She seemed cheerful, but Vael could see it, could _feel _it. She was clearly unwell. "What's wrong? What's happened to us?"

"Oh, it's naught but a chill. A bit draughty in your soul, that's all. You should..." She trailed off as a sudden shudder jolted through her body so violently that she dropped her knees, stunned into silence.

Vael didn't even think about it, she cast a Blessing upon her instinctively, trying to give over what little Source she could with her already drained from the ritual to contact Zorl-Stissa in the first place. Source washed over: wave over a single flame, but unlike last time it seemed to have precious little effect. An ancient curse escaped from her lips, spoken so forcefully that for a brief moment all light receded into the webs of darkness. Vael hated herself for it, hated that she felt this for a Goddess she knew manipulated her, cajoled her, coerced her at every turn... but she was worried.

Worried because whatever could do this to _a God _would likely have little problem doing it to _her_ should she find itself in its attention. Worried because she didn't know how to fix the problem. Worried because she and her Goddess were now connected and she didn't know what would happen if Zorl-Stissa died. Worried because... somewhere, deep down, she still revered Zorl-Stissa as the Goddess she was... and she was dying. Vael reached for her, gingerly helping her up as best as she could. Warmth radiated from the Goddess to Vael's clawed hands at the touch, but unlike before, when she was saved from the sea and the heat had been like the blistering midday sun... It was hardly a trickle, like from a mug of tea she'd left sitting out on the ledge a little too long, barely warming the scales of her fingers. "I thought I was about to lose you." She hated the thread of genuine concern that lingered in the tone of her voice, but she couldn't deny that it was there.

Zorl-Stissa slowly nodded her head. "I have told you before, the Void is stronger than ever. But so are you." She jabbed Vael's breastplate with a claw on each of those last three words. "I can sense the expanse of Source inside you. You are ready to learn the spell I've yearned to teach you: the spell you will need when we reach the Well of Ascension." She gestured toward Vael's eyes, then her muzzle. "I have given you eyes that see the Source. Now I will give you the teeth to _take _it."

Zorl-Stissa smiled and Vael noticed, for the first time, two vampire-like fangs glistening beneath her upper lip. Vael couldn't tell if they had always been there and she hadn't noticed, if Zorl-Stissa had created them just for her benefit, or if they had always been there and shielded from view before she was ready to see them. While she was distracted, she hadn't noticed Zorl-Stissa enacting her magic, and a gulf of it enveloped her, so strong it knocked her down to her knees. A hunger, deep inside of her, opened up. A hunger that she felt like had always been there, hidden from sight. Deep, thirsty, unyielding, she instinctively knew that no matter how satiated she became, she would never, ever be content again. "What... did you do?" She managed to look up toward her Goddess.

The woman just smirked at her as Vael managed to push herself back to her feet. "Go on. I am here for you. _Give in to your hunger!_"

Vael wanted to fight it, to wonder what it was, but her body shuddered in anticipation for it, for what it knew would come. "I feel so..." She looked down at her hands, watching them clench of their own accord, she was _so hungry. _She shook her head. "You're too weak already as it is!"

"Do not heed me or any other, only your own lust for power, just like a God should!" She held her arms open, threw her head back. "Go on. _Devour me!_"

Vael couldn't help herself. She felt her hand rising toward the Goddess, the spell on her lips before she knew it. The magic leaped between them, connecting them, silvery-green Source flowing from Zorl-Stissa to herself. She broke the contact as soon as she was able, that tiny sip slaking her thirst for the barest of moments, but she couldn't bring herself to take any more than that. Zorl-Stissa was already so weak and fear held her back.

The spell tore through her like a spear through flesh regardless of her intent, and as Vael broke contact, Zorl-Stissa seemed grimly happy - if haggard. "You speak the spell with brash ferocity, like I knew you would, my champion."

Vaeltorya looked down at her hands. She wasn't sure she liked how this made her feel. She slowly brought her eyes back up to Zorl-Stissa. "From the looks of you, too much ferocity was had. I even tried to hold back..."

"Oh, do you still not see? There is no such thing as too much of your wild abandon! Let me tell you the one truth about what it means to be a God: It is to be the lion in a world of lambs. It is about _power_, and power is not given. It is taken. With your all-seeing eyes and your all-consuming teeth."

Vael breathed out a slow breath. "I think I'm beginning to see where you lot went wrong, to be honest."

Zorl-Stissa ignored her, continued despite her. "You can see the souls of the dead. And now you can feed from them to your hungry heart's content. So feed, for you will starve until you finally feast upon the Well of Ascension."

Vael stared at her, hands still upturned from where she'd looked down at them before. She didn't like this, she didn't like it one bit at all. "This is a force of destruction, not creation. You say a God is meant to protect, to fight the Void, to turn them back, and yet this spell has nothing to do with that. You speak of power like I should be concerned with petty power struggles when the world is on the line. All you speak of is raising yourself higher _at the cost _of others. Is this what it means to be you? To be a God? To be Divine? To throw all others down for the barest hint of power to be gained for yourself?"

She shook her head slowly. "If that's what this means, then hang ascending. And to hell with you!" She flipped her hand dismissively toward her Goddess. "Get me out of here."

Zorl-Stissa crossed her arms, her tail flicking slowly behind herself. "By all means, fast if you must, but sheer hunger will soon trump your all too delicate feelings." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, looking away from Vael. Her tail flicked behind her agitatedly for several moments, and Goddess and Godwoken stood distant from each other despite their connection. Finally, Zorl-Stissa seemed to relent and she turned back to Vael, reaching out.

Vael wanted to turn away, expecting to the gripped and tugged and shook and lectured, but something made her stand still and wait. Zorl-Stissa's clawed fingers wrapped around either side of her face and for a moment she felt the woman's claws tighten, just a hair, but then her fingers relaxed and she gently turned Vael's gaze to meet her own.

"I ask much of you because I _need _much of you. Perhaps, if it will assuage your guilt, feed only from the guilty, the cruel, the deserving. I am more than certain that there will be plenty of them in your future." Her gaze held Vael's own and once more Vael couldn't help but admit how beautiful her eyes were, like pools of glittering, liquid gold. "You _must _ascend. You _must _rise above, if your, my, our world is to have a chance of survival."

Vael breathed a long, quiet sigh. "I know. But the more I hear of this, the more I learn of what paves the path..." She looked to Zorl-Stissa, trying to make the woman understand. "The less I want it. If I must turn cruel, heartless; if I must become Lucian, if I must turn away from all that is good and worth saving in the world, then what does that make me? Is it _worth it _if the methods to reach the end are so... so despicable."

"Life, and saving it, are worth it. No matter the cost," her Goddess intoned.

"I can't- I _won't _believe that. Is the world truly _worth_ saving if the price is so high? If Divinity and those who claim it are so terrible- Do you _know _what Lucian did?" Her voice shook, she could feel the anger welling up inside of her even here. "He sacrificed, hundreds, thousands of elves to win his war. Threw them aside like so much chaff before his scythe. He very well may be killing off the other Godwoken, even posthumously, but for what purpose? To secure his own power? To ensure there would never be another? And look at what happened. _Look where we are."_ In the end, she was shouting at Zorl-Stissa. She knew the woman deserved it if her methods said anything about the Goddess before her, but still, seeing her so weak... She couldn't help feel pity and wonder if she shouldn't be easier on her. She seemed so _desperate._ "If your methods, what you're telling me now, are what created Lucian..." Vael looked to the ground below her. "Tell me that we shouldn't look for another way."

Zorl-Stissa remained silent for some time, thinking or waiting or just humoring Vael, she didn't know. But when she did speak again, there seemed to be at least the barest hint of understanding in her tone, and that was all that Vael could hope for. "There is no other way." She raised a finger when Vael started to protest. "But, _maybe__," _she seemed to struggle to say it, to admit that she might even _possibly_ but wrong, but it was a start in Vael's eyes. "We are here because of what we have done. I have admitted it myself. Raising Lucian was a mistake. Maybe we have made others." She was truly straining at the end to say it and Vael didn't know if it was an act or if it was genuine, but at least it was _something._

Vael breathed a long, slow, quiet breath out that she hadn't realized she'd been holding as the Goddess spoke. "If you will at least admit that much..." Vael closed her eyes. "I will try. If there is _possibly_ another way to do this that isn't so... heartless, I will try."

Her Goddess inclined her head. "Good. Your soul must grow bigger still; your inner self become a vaster expanse so that it may house divinity. There are more Masters of the Source, more aspects of the Source to learn. The hunt continues." Zorl-Stissa raised a claw to gently prod at Vael's scaled cheek. "If you keep turning teachers away, there may not be any left." She gave Vael a meaningful look, then began to fade. "Hurry."

The inner world around her fell away.


	34. Distractions

When Vael came to again, she breathed the smoke out of her lungs in great clouds. The coughing didn't start until she tried to take a breath in, an improvement from last time at the very least. She stumbled off to one side to lean against the wall, watching Ifan and the Prince each take in a breath and then begin coughing fits of their own. As the three of them recovered, Ifan looking determined and resolute, the Prince drawn and somewhat sad, she looked toward Meistr Siva, who began to speak.

"You seem different. Tell me, what have you learned? Or has the smoke simply addled your mind beyond repair?" Well, she hadn't lost any of her snippy spark despite her condition.

"We learned to steal Source from others," Ifan answered as Vael had just been overcome by another hacking fit, expelling more of the green smoke.

"Vampirism? As if killing a creature weren't enough, you should utterly destroy its soul too?" She held a hand to her chin.

"That's more or less what I said." Vael coughed, shielding her mouth with one hand. "It didn't go over well."

The Meistr looked at her, then shook her head. "A dark skill, but certainly useful." She slumped back into her chair, closing her eyes. Her breathing was shallow and ragged and Vael wondered if she'd even survive to see them return again. "Very well then, but as you lack the glowing eyes of the Divine or the purpose of one soon-to-be-Divine, I trust you need more Source?"

Vael gave her a thumbs up to indicate the affirmative as she was overtaken by the last bit of smoke.

"Thankfully, the Magisters have made our lives very simple. They carefully cataloged every Sourcerer in this area, keeping careful records in their barracks."

Vael slowly stood up tall, finally breathing normally again. "I suppose we should finally check their records. We've stumbled across the others so far..."

"The list will be under guard." As Vael looked toward her, she frowned. "Do not look at me like that. I said it was _simple_, not easy. Now get to the Magisters' barracks and find that list!" She glanced down toward her own hand. "We no longer have the luxury of time."

Vael glanced to the others, Ifan looked as if he had relaxed somewhat, but the Prince still seemed drawn and sad and hadn't said anything since they'd returned. She motioned for them to follow her and the group quickly made their way outside. Vael took the Prince aside as they walked through the town, watching him curiously. "What did she tell you?"

"She said.." He pursed his lips. "She said that that would be the last time we spoke." He glanced toward Vael. "That... the end was coming, but it would be in service to a great good." He drew himself up slightly, trying to shake off some of whatever he was feeling. "A fitting end."

She set her jaw and shook her head. "Maybe we can still do something about it." The Magister's barracks loomed ahead. "Come on."

Somewhat nervously, Vael walked into the barracks. It was more of a headquarters than anything, Magisters moving to and fro. A Magister in a corner desk shouted at an assistant who ran this way and that. Only the assistant seemed to actually pay them any mind, which honestly made Vael wonder just how good most of them were at their jobs. Three reasonably powerful Sourcerers standing right before their noses, and the only thing they seemed to care about was writing their next report...

Vael had a casual look around, trying to spot where there might be any 'lists', but downstairs, at least, there was nothing to be found. Unless it was at a Magister's desk, in which case it wouldn't be accessible to them at all, Vael didn't see it. A glance up the stairs just showed beds, unlikely to be anything up there... A Magister walked up from a basement hatch, pulling a prisoner in handcuffs behind himself- maybe another Sourcerer being shipped off?

She took the moment to slip forward and prop the hatch open with her foot, and then when nobody was looking motioned for Ifan and the Prince to follow her and slipped down inside. They found themselves in the quiet of what appeared to be a jail and what seemed to be some kind of... guard break room, judging by the table nearby with weapon racks to one side. There was only a single Magister down here though, one muttering mutinous thoughts to himself.

Vael slipped closer to him, raising a hand when she finally seemed like she might catch his attention. "Excuse me? Sir?"

He scowled at them, cut off mid-mutter about '-shouldn't I just leave', turning toward Vael with a scowl, both hands on his hips. "_What?_"

She hesitated for just a moment, then decided to try something bold. "It doesn't sound like you're too happy with... all of this." She gestured around herself.

He pointed at the rusting bars of the jail. "Look around! Would you be happy stuck guarding this bloody place? Ten years of service and they stick me in a hole with a bunch of speechless goons." He waggled a finger at her. "The new leadership ought to learn to respect its veterans! We're the ones who uphold the rule of law, not white ponces like Reimond and Jonathan..."

Vael nodded sympathetically. "Maybe you'll get reassigned soon?"

He raised a hand and muttered to himself. "Aye... and soon too."

Vael raised her brow dramatically as she leaned closer. "Hmm?"

He realized she was still listening and after a moment's hesitation, he continued. "If the rumors are true, let's just say that there are other places where I'd be appreciated, more than I am in Driftwood."

Vael shrugged her shoulder as casually as she could manage, glancing toward the others. "Maybe if you don't like it so much, you could... leave?"

He seemed to genuinely consider this, then squinted and scowled at her. "Wait, who asked you?" He looked around himself. "You're not even supposed to be down here."

Vael reached out, clapping him on the shoulder. "Look, all I know is, it pays to follow your instincts. If the other Magisters don't even care enough to keep the public out of here... maybe they don't deserve you."

He looked as if he was about to call for the others, then slowly stared at her. All at once he scowled, ripped the keys from his belt, and threw them to the ground. "You're right! This isn't the Divine Order I signed up for. Not anymore. I'm done." He turned and stomped away from them, back up the stairs and out of the basement.

Vael waited until he was well and truly gone and then glanced toward the others, giggling softly. "I can't believe that worked!"

The Prince seemed genuinely impressed, and Ifan was just shaking his head in disbelief. "And I thought I was the one with the silver tongue." The Prince placed his hand on his chest dramatically.

Vael smirked at the two of them, then picked up the jailor's discarded key ring. "Come on, there has to be something of use down here. If anyone would know what's in these dungeons... it would be Siva."

Two of the silent watchers stood nearby, but as usual, without any orders, they simply stared impassively at Vael and the others and let them go by. They checked the cells, finding nothing but a talkative spirit, then finally checked a larger room in the back corner. Vael hadn't wanted to go into it at first, there was a torture rack in there, but with nowhere else to go she found the key that fit into the lock and pushed it open.

As they stepped inside, Vael stopped to look at the rack and frowned... Resting on the ground around it there were scales. Scales in Meistr Siva's color. She grit her teeth as the anger welled up inside of her, but she slowly forced it back down. They had more important business at the moment, she needed to remember that. On the far side of the room was a large board with many dossiers posted and tacked and nailed and affixed in myriad different ways, each one indicating a Sourcerer. Many had been scribbled over with the word "Joy", others were still unblemished.

She walked closer, grinning as she recognized a sketched picture on one of them. "Hey, Ifan, look- It's you."

He raised a brow and walked over, leaning down to read his own dossier. "Well I'll be, that is me." He pointed out where 'Joy' had been written and scribbled out with a question mark next to it. "Interesting that most of them don't seem to read this board, or we might have attracted more attention than we have already."

"No kidding." Vael looked to the board, pushing some dossiers aside to read others. "Well, they mention Mordus here, but he's dead... There's a Ryker, but says he's a Lone Wolf, unlikely to be of any use to us... Hannag, no." She frowned slightly. "Almira, but it says she's Black Ring and captured. Saheila... we already found her." She pointed toward the bottom of the board. "Look here."

Vael leaned lower. "Suspicion of Sourcerer activity on the northern end of Bloodmoon Island. There's another note saying that at least one Sourcerer is known to be in the area near the island. Suspected of having a base nearby, but not on the island itself." She looked up toward the others. "I think we might have just found our last teacher... We might not have any choice unless we want to turn to Black Ring or the Wolves." She looked back toward Ifan and the Prince, who nodded.

"I guess we should head toward the island." Vael put her hands on her hips. "We need to head there anyway."

With the others following close behind, they began the trek up toward Bloodmoon Island. Out of town, North across the road, up toward the Paladin checkpoint again. As they passed the Paladins, however, they were hailed. "Ho, adventurers, Paladin Hardwin requests your presence."

Vael raised a brow curiously and glanced toward the others, then shrugged and decided to see what it was the Paladin wanted. They seemed like good enough sorts, unlike the Magisters, so she supposed helping them wouldn't really hurt anything.

As they approached Paladin Hardwin, he pointed toward the map on his desk, looking up toward them. "Who are you and who sent you?"

Vael raised a brow curiously, hadn't he just... "We're... adventurers like we told your man the other day."

He appraised the three of them with a long, hard look, over Ifan, the Prince, herself. "And yet... you fight Magisters, you freed the Meistr from the gallows in Driftwood, and you survive the Voidwoken, among other things if what my scouts say is to be believed."

"I mean..." Vael started to look for an excuse, then sighed. "Yes, we do... did, all those things."

"Then I may well have a job for you if you're interested." He steepled his fingers over the map.

Vael glanced back toward the others, then toward the Paladin. "Alright. What do you want to be done?"

He tapped a finger against the map on the table. "Here, in the Blackpits, are White Magisters. Their operation is shrouded in mystery, and this pricks our ears. We are _gravely_ concerned. We believe the White Magisters may have strayed into the darkness."

Vael frowned just thinking about it. She'd almost been down there in the Blackpits herself... she wondered what she might have gotten roped into if the Source Hounds had found her first. Not that what she was roped into _now _was any less... crazy, but... She motioned for the Paladin to continue.

"We suspect that Dallis herself and her Master Vredeman are the inspiration for these dark endeavors. Look under the White veil of secrecy and report back." He seemed finished, placing his hand on the desk.

They did have a score to settle with Dallis, if they could disrupt something she was trying to do, maybe figure out more about this Vredeman... Vael nodded her head. "Okay."

He offered Vael a small, wooden item. It looked quite a lot like a whistle. She looked at it, then raised a brow curiously toward him.

"When you're ready, blow on that to send a war owl. Be careful out there - it's a dangerous place these days, and I'd like to think I'll hear from you again. And, adventurer?" He looked Vael and the others in the eyes once each. "Don't get caught."

Vael nodded slowly, placing the whistle into a pocket of her pack, then turned to the others as they began to walk away. "What do you think we should do?"

"Our most important goal here is to learn more about the Source. I think we should continue to the island." Ifan crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm not sure if I should really have much input, if..." The Prince sighed and shook his head. "I am curious myself what Dallis is up to. And if these Blackpits are involved in an expedition as you suggest..." He motioned with a hand, off to the East. "I would like to see them for myself."

She looked toward Ifan and nudged her head East questioningly.

He looked between the two of them and finally nodded. "I don't like it, but alright."


	35. Gwydian

The road East was one the group had traveled before, but they'd never gone as far East as the Blackpits. They'd noticed smoke rising from the area, but given what it was known for, that wasn't really a surprise to anyone. Oil drilling and production there meant the skies over the settlement were always clouded and choked with smoke and fog.

They jogged along the road, past the cemetery, past Paradise Downs... or what used to be Paradise Downs anyway, now that the ground was cracked and ruined, apparently from Hannag attempting to escape the Magisters... As they approached the Blackpits they found that even this area hadn't been spared the ruin, but that someone had arrived before them and constructed a bridge across the chasm that blocked the way into the area. They could hear sounds of fighting up ahead, and the ghostly spirit of a Magister fought off foes only he could see.

Vael hefted her blade and looked back toward the others. "He didn't die by a sword, come on." That likely meant there were Voidwoken in the area to be dealt with.

She was proven correct when, as they passed over the bridge and the sounds of battle became louder, they came upon two Magisters fighting Voidwoken- and they appeared to be losing. Vael was of half a mind to let them die and then deal with the Voidwoken after, but she wasn't sure even she could be so callous. They rushed in, two of the larger bugs and two Voidwoken that Vael hadn't seen before... they almost looked like boars but were twisted and ruined by Void corruption. With herself and Ifan and the Prince to help, the Voidwoken were dealt with quickly, and the Magisters were able to stand easy once again, finally.

One of the Magisters, a man wielding an axe and wearing heavier armor, raised a hand toward Vael in greeting. "A bloody shambles, this. My thanks for your help." He took a long drink from his water canteen then splashed some over his hands, reddened by what Vael could only assume was blood.

"You're welcome." She frowned down at his hands. "Is that yours? You don't look injured."

"No... it ain't mine." He looked back up toward the empty, quiet house that they stood near, and Vael's grip began to tighten on her sword. "A Sourcerer fugitive was hiding here - some of the locals were stupid enough to help him. We got a tip-off, but he wasn't willing to go quietly..." He shook his head. "These Voidwoken appeared, thanks to him. It was... messy. A lot of the locals didn't make it, an' those that did... well, there's a price for helping Sourcerers."

Vael's grip on her blade tightened until her knuckles began to hurt, and a soft, quiet growl rose up from her throat. Ifan placed his hand on her arm, muttering to her. 'We just helped them fight off Voidwoken...'

She pulled away from him, stepping up toward the Magister until they were scant inches from one another. "If Sourcerers weren't being hounded in the first place, then none of this might have happened... and a _price _wouldn't have needed to be extracted..."

The Magister's face hardened under his helmet and his hand went to the handle of his axe. "Take my advice and don't say another _word_, hear me? Sourcerers brought this plague down on us - them and the sort of folk who see fit to help them." He rubbed the handle of his axe with a hand. "They'll all get what they deserve. You can join them if you like - otherwise, you can shut your trap."

Vael shuddered and cracked her neck, staring at the man. She heard Ifan about to say something, but she wasn't listening. The anger welled up inside of her, she just managed to keep it breaking free, she didn't need to waste any Source on this man... But she didn't need Source to do what needed to be done. Her arm tensed and the man seemed to realize what was coming, but he was far too slow. She swung her blade down toward him, a single chop from where it rested on her shoulder; her soulforged blade sliced through his armor like it wasn't there and nearly took his arm off at the shoulder.

His scream and the sound of her attack alerted the other Magister, but a bolt from Ifan's crossbow silenced her before she could speak. He looked toward Vael with something that almost bordered on disappointment. "Was that really necessary."

She couldn't help the snapped reply that followed. "_Yes, it was!" _She growled and put her hand to her head, trying to clear her thoughts and push the anger back down. "I'm... sorry, it- he." She looked toward the dead Magister on the ground. "Speaking of these people like... like they were nothing."

The Prince looked toward her. "It's getting harder to control, isn't it?"

Vael nodded her head slowly. "It flares up more often the stronger we get. It's... stronger, hotter."

The Prince crossed his arms and eventually shook his head. "I don't know, though it pains me to admit it. Admittedly there may not have been one like you who was Godwoken before, we may be on new ground."

She rubbed a hand gently over her forehead. "Maybe." She looked toward Ifan. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

He nodded once. "I understand. Just next time maybe we don't pretend to help them and _then _kill them after. It'd be better to do it all at once." He nudged one of the corpses with his boot. "I don't really blame you, otherwise."

Their trip down and into the town wasn't helping Vael's outlook or mood in the slightest. They passed more bodies, most of them villagers, some of them Magisters, as well as many Voidwoken, but they began to notice similarities among many of the dead villagers... they hadn't been killed by Voidwoken. They were executed. Vael grit her teeth and ground them against one another, the anger flaring up again, burning brighter and hotter the more bodies they spotted.

Vael saw a Magister up ahead and it was all she could do to keep a lid on things long enough to get close to him without charging him immediately, but her grip on her blade's handle was starting to get so tight that it was becoming painful.

They moved to walk past him, they were trying to make it to the Blackpits proper, they weren't trying to fight every Magister that came their way, but then the man's deep voice called out to them. "You best move on, stranger, lest you want to end up like this treacherous filth that-" He never finished his sentence.

Vael's blade removed his head cleanly from his shoulders, her hands alight.

Ifan let out a weary sigh and shouldered his crossbow. "Oh, balls."

Vael charged down the hill toward another group of Magisters standing near bound and kneeling civilians. Vael didn't know who these people were, what they'd done, but their situation was doing nothing but fanning the flames of her anger to greater heights. She roared as she charged into the group of Magisters and their silent soldiers, drawing them away from the family as cries of 'Sourcerer!' went up across the town. She knew there wouldn't be any way of getting through here peacefully, now, but it didn't seem like the Magisters themselves had been 'peaceful' in getting here in the first place.

She found plenty to vent her anger upon here, Magisters, a Magister Inquisitor who looked like he'd been in charge of interrogating the family who now kneeled bound on the porch of their home. Her blade found purchase in the Magisters, their own found purchase in her as she swung with wild and reckless abandon. Her armor took the worst of the punishment, but she was hardly trying to defend herself, swinging at anyone wearing red who came into view. She felt like their blades were having more trouble actually damaging her, but then again that might have just been because it was so difficult to get near her as she attacked them and struck them down.

The Prince bounded into the fight at her side, trying to fend off and protect her from some of the blows and Ifan struck from range, the three of them working in unison. Soon the only sound was the small brush fires that Vael's flaming swings had set in the grass, the panting of her breath as her hands slowly cooled and the flames around them went out.

The family stared at the group in silence, then what looked to be the mother of the group called out to them. "Please- my son, they- please, untie us."

Vael looked up, in her rage she'd not noticed everything that had been going on with the tied-up family. As she moved closer and got a better handle on the situation, she began to realize what exactly they'd saved them from. A small boy, he couldn't have been older than ten, lay dead on the porch of his family home. "My Gods... what happened?" Vael moved to the mother as Ifan and the Prince began to cut free the others. She sliced the woman's hands free and she immediately rushed to the fallen boy.

"Thank you stranger, thank you." She cradled the fallen boy's head in her hands, looking up to Vael. She tried to put on a brave face but her visage cracked. "To lose a child... it's a mother's worst fear. I never imagined..."

"Did they... did they execute _your child_ right in front of you?"

"They _started _with my youngest. Henric." She cradled the small boy before her. "So full of life..."

Vael stammered. "I... I'm sorry- if we had come sooner..."

The woman shook her head. "I'm grateful for your sympathy, but it's not your burden to bear." She looked to her family as they gathered around her. "It's true, you know. What the Magisters told us. My brother's boy, Gwydian... he's got the Source in him. Now that his folks are gone, we've all he's got. We thought we could keep him safe. He's not got a spot of malice. He can't help who he is, but when the Magisters came snooping, he panicked. We _all _did."

She looked around her ransacked home. "We hid, for a few days. Then they found us, and..." Her voice cracked. "Shouldn't have let that Hannag woman near Gwyd... She said she could teach him, but that's when all the trouble started..."

Vael looked back toward Ifan and the Prince, they both seemed similarly affected by all of this. "We've met Hannag. Where's Gwydian? Is he here?"

The woman shook her head. "When they found us, they- he-" She looked to a dead Magister in the doorway. "As soon as the Magister fell, Gwyd knew what he'd done. He didn't even struggle when they dragged him away. Gods know where they took him." She looked up to Vael at the others. "I've already lost more than I can bear today. Please, find him, if you can."

Vael grit her teeth and tightened her grip on her blade, nodding her head toward the woman. "We'll find him."

"You will? Oh, bless you... Make sure he's safe. And if you can... bring him back to us." She turned her head back down to the boy whose body she cradled.

Vael nodded and stalked off, expecting the others to follow. There were Magisters to deal with. Another group stood near a burning home, shouting at the flames. Vael didn't even give them the chance to speak, the others seemed to be of a similar mind as they were right there with her, Ifan and the Prince. They systematically cleared the settlement of Magisters until only those guarding a gate deeper into the Blackpits remained.

As Vael and the others rushed toward the one in charge, a man wearing heavy armor and wielding a shield, he called out toward them. "Who are you?! What have you done!?"

Vael knew who she was, she was their nightmare. She killed them. She killed all of them, every Magister she could find until the town was silent. Now all that stood between them and the Blackpits was the gate and whatever lay beyond it. Vael would speak to no more Magisters in this town, none of them deserved it. They didn't deserve to spread any more hate, propaganda, lies, whatever it was she didn't want to hear it. She had no more time for them. She knew it was unlikely she'd ever be able to stand the sight of another Magister after today, after what she'd seen, but she honestly didn't know if that was a bad thing or not, given what they'd done.

They spotted another group of Magisters, standing around a massive platform- Vael was of half a mind to charge them, work their way up, but she paused when she spotted someone. Up top, near another Magister wearing white, was a gibbet. And hanging from it was a young man, being held up by his arms. They hadn't even properly hanged him yet... They were torturing him. Vael forced herself to hold back; if they attacked now, the Magister at the top was likely to kill him before they ever had a chance to reach the hanging man.

They ascended, the other Magisters giving them dirty looks- apparently, they hadn't seen or heard what was coming through the town, but they seemed distracted with torturing the man hanging from their gibbet, so she didn't put it past them. Magisters didn't seem to be the most observant people Vael had ever met, to be honest... Vael managed to climb up to the top, but when she heard the White Magister speaking and gesturing with a knife that was all too likely to be used on Gwydian in the next few moments, she couldn't hold back anymore.

Vael drew her blade and stabbed through the Magister before her from behind. He let out a gasp of shock, his dagger falling from his hands as he stared down at the blade protruding from his middle.

The other Magisters around threw up cries of alarm as they saw what happened, and Gwydian stared at her and the dying Magister. "Finally!"

He sliced himself loose and raised his hands, casting a Source spell on one of the archers nearby, shocking the woman where she stood... and the ground around them began to rumble. The platform they were standing on shook and swayed, Vael nearly lost her balance and had to place her hand on the railing to steady herself. That same, deep voice they'd heard several times before bubbled up out of one of the creatures that flowed up from the ground- it looked like sentient oil, dark and gloopy and bubbling. _'Godwoken. We found you. I found you.'_

Vael heard one of the Magisters cry out. "The creature speaks to them! Sourcerers! Kill them!"

The man was silenced with a bolt from Ifan's crossbow as he growled from where he stood near Vael. "Idiots. We're under attack by Voidwoken and they think we're the greater threat."

Vael reached down and tugged her blade free of the Magister's back. "We probably are." She hefted her blade and readied herself for the assault.

The voidlings were able to launch themselves through the air, but with Vael and the Prince standing guard over Gwydian, and the Magisters distracted trying to fight off the voidwoken, few of them made it close enough to threaten the young man. He seemed to be their main target despite everything, probably because he'd summoned them, but Ifan's bolts and Vael and the Prince's blades ensured he came to little harm.

At one point in the fighting, the ground around them managed to burst into flame and more voidlings were summoned, these on fire just to add to the cacophony of events going on around them. From their bastion atop the structure, striking down any Voidlings that attempted to jump up, and Ifan's bolts picking off the others, they managed to keep relatively safe. The Magisters died in the flames, screaming, and even Vael felt somewhat sorry for them dying like that, in cursed flames spawned by the Voidlings.

Eventually, the fighting slowly died down until all that was left were Vael, Ifan and the Prince, and Gwydian... slightly singed, but mostly unharmed. He looked to the three of them as they cleaned weapons and put them away, staring at them in awe.

"That was... awesome. What a show of Source. You'd give Hannag a run for her money!" He jumped, pumping his fist.

Ifan frowned and cracked his knuckles, prompting Gwydian to look to Vael. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

She shook her head, looking first to Ifan, then to Gwyd. "No. But I don't think you should go back to Hannag. She's... in enough trouble as it is."

He paused for a moment, considering, then slowly nodded his head. His face fell slightly. "I see. On your way here, did you see my family, by chance? My aunt and uncle, my cousins, little Henric..."

Vael looked to the others, then to Gwyd. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We... did. You should go to them. They need you right now."

She watched him run off, back to his family, then looked to the others. "They should be okay. We have more business to attend to here."

Her companions nodded their assent and together they moved back down the structure toward the deeper parts of the Blackpits. They had more work to attend to here. More Magisters to deal with. Secrets to find.


	36. Campfire Conversations

There were two directions that the group could go, once they descended from the tower they'd rescued Gwydian from. They could head toward what looked like a dock set up on the beach with a large warehouse attached, or they could ascend a hill toward a cave mouth. The three of them decided to head toward the warehouse first, intending to check that before they went into the cave- there was no telling what they'd find within or how long it would take them to explore it, so moving to the docks first seemed like the better solution.

As they approached, they found another Magister who'd apparently come running to investigate the commotion- just like the others, Vael didn't let him speak. She stepped over the body, continuing along the way, then pulled herself up and back against a rock- "Shriekers! Don't go any closer."

The others stepped back behind the rock with her, looking ahead at what they'd found. Hanging from their crucifixes were the twisted forms of the Shriekers, hanging loosely upon their wooden supports. They stared ahead, blank eyes and twisted bodies hardly seeming to know anything but the pain that had created them. Vael frowned, trying to think- then, unbidden, she felt the hunger that Zorl-Stissa had awakened within her come back into focus. With everything going on, the anger, the fighting, she'd managed to put it out of mind, but staring at the Shrieker now it was almost all that she could think about. She heard her Goddess' voice from deep within her. _'Feed'_

She looked down at her hand, the thin wisps of Source, the spell already gathering around her fingertips. She didn't like how this made her feel, _but _if it helped her get past the Shriekers, at the very least... it couldn't be _all _bad. She lifted her hand, raised it, pointed it at the Shrieker. The wisps of smoke lashed out, wrapped around it, drawing from it. She'd barely sipped from Zorl-Stissa, been too afraid to draw only enough to prove she could cast the spell, but this...

Vael felt a rush she'd never felt before, the _power _that flowed to her from the Shrieker was something she'd never felt, never experienced. It felt strong, it felt right, it felt _good_. No wonder the Gods had become what they were if this is what taking the Source from another felt like. Then, all too soon, it was over. The Shrieker's body collapsed like all the strings had been cut, all the 'glue' holding it together had been removed. Vael was almost horrified, the only thing that kept her from being so was the thought that this was probably an _improvement _over what it's life had been like as a living weapon for the Divine Order... The Shrieker finally fell apart into a mess of meat and giblets that made Vael think she might decide against meat for her dinner... They should probably rest soon, all things considered, it was getting quite late in the day.

There was a Magister campsite not far from the warehouse that the Magisters weren't using anymore, they could commandeer it for themselves after they cleared out the warehouse. As she was thinking, Vael became aware of an odd taste in her mouth. She stuck out her tongue and pulled a face. "Oh, Gods." It was like... horrid, terrible rotting meat or something else. Was that because of the Shrieker? She shuddered and shook her head, the others gave her concerned looks.

"Is everything alright?" The Prince looked to her, then to the Shrieker. "How... how was it? I admit I may have been a little... overenthusiastic when I was taught the spell myself. I demanded to learn what you would learn, as well, and she agreed. I have been... reluctant to use it since."

Ifan nodded once as the Prince spoke. "I was reluctant. I demonstrated that I could do it, that was all that seemed to be required."

Vael nodded slowly, brushing a claw across her tongue to try to get the taste out of her mouth. "I did the same." She shuddered once more, then looked toward the other Shrieker and almost felt sick. "One of you do it, I don't... eugh."

The Prince stood up with a smile. "I have it." He cast the spell with what seemed like practiced ease, none of the hesitation that Vael showed. He seemed to _rip _the soul out of the Shrieker rather than simply take it as Vael had... she couldn't help but admire how well he took to everything, how he accepted what needed to be done and the hand he'd been dealt... She wished she had his confidence. He noticed her looking at him, raising a brow. "What?"

She shook her head with a sad sort of smile. "You will make a far better Divine than I ever could. Come on." She gestured for them to follow her to the warehouse.

He chuckled, his voice a little strained at that. "I am glad you still have hope."

As they approached the warehouse itself, Vael pressed herself against the wall, preparing to peek inside, but she looked at the Prince first. "What do we have, if not hope? Can't give up, not now." She peered her head around, spotting Magisters with men tied up at their feet. At first, she thought it might be another family, but then she got a closer look at them. "Wait..."

Ifan peeked around, looking as well, and as he pulled back he looked up to Vael with a nod. "Black Ring. I've seen uniforms like those before."

"What on earth to the Magisters want with Black Ring?," Vael muttered as she looked into the room, then motioned toward the others. "Let's see."

As soon as they stepped through the door, the two White Magisters sprung up into fighting stances. "Intruders! We thought we heard fighting." One of them near-instantly spoke a spell, binding himself to the three Black Ring prisoners who kneeled behind him. Vael charged him, weapon leading, her first attack nearly bisecting him- but as he collapsed, so did the three Black Ring. "What magic is this!?"

The other Magister just laughed at her reaction, his mirth cut short by the Prince's sword-thrust. The other Magister forces in the area fell still and quiet, leaving them to stand among the wreckage in the warehouse. "Gods damnit. What was that spell?"

The Prince sheathed his blade. "I think I've only seen it one time before. Shackles to bind the soul of one to another. I suppose he thought we'd know what it was and not attack him for fear of killing the prisoners."

Vael breathed a quiet sigh, looking over the bodies and the spirits that stood over them. "Maybe they still have something to say for themselves."

She stepped closer, trying to see what they had to offer her, what secrets they might share that they'd seen. One of the spirits had nothing little to say, asking her if she served his King, and other than wondering if this might be the same king that had been mentioned in relation to Sadha- which he refused to speak about - he proved not useful. Another gave impressions of a magical barrier deep in the ruins, something the Magisters were trying to break past and failing... the last spirit proved by far the most interesting of them all.

"The Aeteran! _The Aeteran! _It spoke to me, called me to it!" The woman's spirit seemed confused, disoriented, but Vael had heard that word before. She looked toward the Prince, he seemed to recognize it as well but didn't have anything to add. Vael tried to wrack her brain, she knew it was important, but nothing came forward. The spirit continued. "But I can't sense it anymore? Where it is... oh, where could it be?" She trailed off then, leaving the three of them in the quiet again.

Vael looked toward the others. "That word is important. Aeteran. But I can't-"

The Prince snapped his fingers. "I remember! The Aeteran is supposed to be a supremely powerful weapon. Able to consume Source, to steal the power of the Gods themselves."

Vael just... stared. "If Dallis gets her hands on that, that could be terrible indeed."

The others seemed to realize what she'd been thinking, then looked toward the cave they'd passed. "We should get in there soon."

Vael nodded, looking toward the cave as well. "But we cannot go tonight. Who knows what we might find within and we should be rested and well when we go." She stretched, wincing at some of the bruises she'd gathered over the day.

The others frowned, then agreed eventually. "I hesitate to agree, but there is little to be gained from rushing in tired and hungry." The Prince looked to the cave with his hand on his blade, then eventually shook his head and moved to follow Vael.

They went back down to the now-abandoned campsite that the Magisters weren't going to need any longer, settling in to rest for the night. They cooked a quick meal from supplies they brought with them and eventually the three settled down around the firepit, slowly eating their dinner. They all three seemed lost in their thoughts for a time, eating in silence, watching the fire before them. Vael could sympathize with the others but her heart truly went out to the Prince. Knowing that your time was limited, knowing the end was coming but not when... She placed her empty bowl to the side and her hands on her knees as she watched him. "How was it, Prince?" She thought maybe reminding him of... happier times would improve the mood.

He looked up from the fire, still not completely paying attention, until he finally realized she'd asked him a question. "Hm? What? Oh..." He shook his head, giving her a confused look. "How was what? The meal? It was... agreeable, I suppose."

Vael smiled, reaching over to nudge him in the shoulder. "Your... visit, you know, with the Princess."

He remained stoic for a moment, then a grin slowly broke upon his features. "I think you can quite easily imagine what went on in that wagon." He raised a hand to his chin. "Almost a pity you weren't a witness actually, for you would have seen the conception of a new world! Not to mention an unparalleled lesson in love-making."

She giggled quietly to herself and shook her head. "Ah, my Prince... What a shame that she was taken so soon."

He nodded, resting his hands on his knees. "Indeed." He looked... far more tense at the thought than Vael would have imagined him to be, then all at once he seemed to snap. "Finally I found her... Finally, I found her only to lose her again!" He smacked his fist against his knee. "It is unthinkable. Unbearable! To know she's in the hand of such villains. I..." He looked at her. "She's _gone_." He closed his eyes and breathed out a soft, slow sigh, beginning to chant an old mantra. His voice was mesmerizing, and as he calmed, Vael felt herself slowly calm as well, a sort of quiet serenity descending over their small little campsite. "There, much better. I apologize for my irritability just now."

Vael shook her head at him, smiling wider. "What was that? That you were chanting? You should teach it to me, I imagine it'd be incredibly useful."

He nodded, pulling a little piece of parchment from a book the Magisters had left at the camp, then scribbled the words with a bit of charcoal from the fire. "Here. What I don't think you realize is..." He paused, then looked to her. "Have you ever been in love?"

Vael raised a brow at the thought. She considered, back to her time in the army, back home before, some of the feminine lizards she'd known... "Love? I don't know. Maybe. I can't say. Nothing that lasted, though. Why?"

He breathed a heavy sigh. "Suffice to say I _am _in love, in such a way that it is the very core of my entire existence. My empire and my throne: I _would _have them back, would the opportunity arise, there's no question about it. My offspring of dragons: I _would _see them born! Divinity itself: by all means, I crave it. But above all, above any of them, I cherish _her." _He turned his gaze back to the flames.

For the first time, Vael thought, she thought she really, _genuinely_ understood why knowing his fate made him as sad as it did... Knowing that he might not ever meet his Princess again. She reached out, placing a hand gently on his. "We'll save her, my Prince. Whatever it takes." She lifted her hand, waving it toward him. "And that, that was beautiful, really."

"Yes." He glanced up, then back to the flames. "Yes, I suppose it is. You must know she is my deepest desire, that I have longed for since my soul slipped into consciousness. I would do anything for her. Anything to save her. To see her taken away from me now, after our first meeting, to know that I may not see her again... it rends the heart."

"We'll make sure she's safe." She looked to Ifan, he'd been listening quietly, but he nodded without hesitation.

He reached across, clapping the Prince on the shoulder. "Whatever it takes," he echoed what Vael had said before.

The Prince looked at the two of them fondly. "Words that mend: I think you for them. I would scour this world in search of Sadha, and if by mortal means she eluded me... I would take Divinity for the purpose. For nothing else, for that alone."

Vael nodded, breathing out a little sigh. "If we can give you that chance, we will."

Silence descended upon them then, quiet and contemplative. Vael tried to think of any way she could prevent what had been foretold to them, any way to save the Prince... in truth, it was part of why she'd wanted to come here, instead of the Island... if there was anywhere she could imagine him falling, that was it. He had a history with demons after all, if she could keep him far away from them as long as possible... maybe that would be enough.

She looked around them, the Magister trappings that made up their makeshift little camp, their embroidered tents... She wondered if they spent some of the money they spent on tents and symbols that they could place everywhere on Fort Joy instead, whether they'd ever have been able to get free. Her mind wandered and she found herself looking to Ifan, across the flames. "You know, Ifan..." He glanced up to her as she disturbed his thoughts. "What was it like, in the Divine Order?" She gestured around herself. "No better place to talk about it than here, in one of their camps, right?"

He smirked. "Look, I'm a simple man. Give me good company, open skies above me, and a boozy night in a tavern now and then... I'll be content. The only difference between being in the Order and being a Lone Wolf was that way back then I really _believed _in something. But it didn't exactly pay off. I mean, has belief ever paid off for _you?_"

Vael considered that. When she was a soldier, she supposed she believed in what they were doing, otherwise why fight the wars? When she was training to be a scholar, she believed that preserving knowledge was a worthwhile pursuit. Even now, she believed that they were making _some _kind of a difference. That maybe when all of this was through the world would be in at least a tiny bit of a better place than it was before. She looked up toward him. "I think... I believe in people. Maybe in us. Not... buildings, institutions... But people, I can believe in."

Ifan watched her carefully after that, a somber nod tilting his head once, then he leaned back and really... looked at her. He smiled, slightly, but it didn't quite seem to reach his eyes. "I miss it, belief." He reached across, giving her a little nudge with his arm. "Maybe you can remind me what it's good for."

She smirked at that and shook her head. "Oh, I don't know. I'm afraid I don't have a lot of it these days... Too many questions, too many worries... Too many fears. Fears of losing you, of you," She gestured to each of them in turn, "Fear that... maybe, despite how hard we try, it won't be enough. That one day the three of us will be lying face down in a field somewhere." She shook her head. "Ah, I shouldn't think of these things."

Ifan shook his head. "It's not bad to be afraid of things. I'm afraid of things. Heights. The dark. Even _spiders_, truth be told."

She grinned at him as she looked up. "You? Afraid of the dark? Of _heights_ as often as you climb around? I don't believe it."

He nodded. "I just... do it anyway. The fear doesn't go away, but my body's used to the rush by now. Keep going long enough and, well... the intensity's how you know you're _alive."_

Vael had never considered it that way. She pondered, wondering if that's what she needed to do. Stop worrying about it all and just _go. _Maybe it'd all work itself out. She sighed, quietly, then looked toward the tent, then the Prince. "I take it you want the tent?"

He motioned toward her with a hand. "Go on. I... don't know if I will sleep much tonight." At her concerned look, he shook his head. "Nothing like that. The stars just seem particularly beautiful tonight." He stretched himself out, laying back, his tail curled around his legs.

Vael nodded once, then looked to the two of them. She bid them goodnight, then crawled into the tent to sleep. She was gone almost as soon as her head hit the pillow of her bedroll.


	37. Aetera

Vael slowly sat up, groggy in the early morning hours, looking around for the others. The Prince had eventually gone to sleep, curled up on his bedroll, Ifan lay nearby, but he seemed to be awake, watching the stars fade as the sun rose. She pushed herself up to a sitting position on her bedroll, reaching up to adjust her frills. She'd had dreams but couldn't remember them, it was odd to her... most of her life she'd never really dreamed, though it was something only Dreamers did... Now, it seemed like every night was full of them.

They made breakfast, cooking something light and quick before they then started up the hill toward the cave. They left the brightening sun of the day behind them, descending into the underground gloom. The cave looked partially abandoned, but as far as they knew no one had come out the day before... at least not after they arrived. It didn't inspire hope that they'd actually be able to stop whatever was happening within it since it seemed like it might already be over.

The cave entrance was full of traps, but past that they found little but silence. There was evidence there had been a commotion at the entrance of the cave, Voidwoken corpses, but they found no dead Magisters. It was really starting to look like this place had been abandoned long before they arrived, which started to worry Vael quite a bit. If the Aeteran really was here, Dallis having hold of it didn't bode well for anything or anyone, who knew what someone like that would do with a weapon like that.

As they continued onward and downward, they finally came across a sign that the place was still inhabited- a Shrieker, tied to a post, watching the entryway further into the mines or cave or whatever it was... there were minecart tracks everywhere now, Vael supposed that this is where they'd actually been forced to start digging, whereas the rooms above had been mostly natural. She looked to Ifan and gestured toward the Shrieker ahead of them. "Your turn?"

He considered for a moment, then nodded his head. He reached out toward the thing, the Source stretching between him and the Shrieker. Much like the Prince, he seemed to have little problem in performing the spell, though he seemed to have a similar experience to her afterward. "What a rush! And, oh." His face screwed up and he turned away. "Awful."

"Isn't it?" Vael smirked slightly and shook her head. "Come on, maybe if we hurry some of them might even still be here..."

They hurried onward, deeper into the caverns when they came to a fork in the path. Unsure of which way to turn, Vael tilted her head and listened... and faint sounds of fighting drifted to her from the right fork. She pointed down it. "Come on, maybe there's still someone here."

As they crested the hill they found what they were looking for, more or less... as well as a large, glowing plinth in the middle of the room. This seemed to be attracting the Voidwoken, and the Magisters looked as if they were trying to defend it- though Vael didn't know why. Whatever had been upon it was gone.

She looked to the others, then nodded. "They all go." And so they did.

The Voidwoken were too busy trying to kill the Magisters to realize that Vael and her friends had arrived, and by the time the Magisters did, it was too late. They leaped upon both groups with the same ferocity, taking down Magisters and Voidwoken alike until the only sound in the room was the crackling of flames. One of the Voidwoken, a new type that Vael hadn't seen before, exploded into poison when it died. Another released some kind of oil, and when the two substances mixed, they burst into flame.

Vael made sure to stay well clear of the flames when it was all said and done, thankfully none seemed to have reached the plinth in the center of the room. It was large, vaguely square-shaped but with protruding sides, surrounded by open space for quite some distance before the stairs descended to the rest of the room... And Vael could _see _the Source radiating off of it in waves. Whatever had been here had been powerful indeed... She frowned as she looked at it, almost certain that this had been where the Aeteran had been resting... and that it was long, long gone by now.

As she looked around, she realized one of the Magisters who'd been killed had created a spirit, Vael wandered closer to him, watching him as he judged her. His face set into a scowl as he approached, he pointed toward all the dead voidwoken, the dead silent watchers, then the dead Magisters, then to Vael. "Your end comes, Sourcerer, just as it came for them, and for me." His ghostly voice echoed as he spoke to them. "Vredeman guided the excavation rightly. Soon, Dallis will use the Aeteran... on YOU! And then you will be Sourcerer no longer..."

Vael looked from him to the plinth and back again. "Is that what this was? The Aeteran?"

The Magister shook his head, saying nothing else. He resumed pointing at the dead, then to each of them in turn, and repeating that. Vael could get nothing else out of him. She looked toward the others. "This isn't good..."

She slowly became aware of another spirit within the room. This one was almost... smaller, somehow, quieter. It seemed almost to be fading away like it wouldn't be here much longer. She wandered toward it and the spirit reached out for her, Vael felt their minds connect, for the briefest of moments. Memories, images flashed through her mind.

_She was a Sensate, deaf and mute - but gifted with an unnatural ability. Dallis sought her out and brought her here into the darkness. When the blindfold fell, Dallis bid her find and free a secret power. She closed her eyes and felt the presence of a hidden truth. She pointed at it and opened her eyes, but she was pointing at Dallis. The Hammer calmly bid her try again, then stepped back into the shadows. She closed her eyes once more, now the vault before her sung to her. She raised her hand to it - it opened to her touch. From the vault she took a sword. It was weightless, yet felt **extremely **powerful... more powerful than even Dallis herself, and yet **fragile. **A hand fell upon her shoulder, a blade crossed her throat, blood poured. Dallis whispered 'good girl' and then all went quickly dark. _

Vael fell back, gasping for air, clutching her hand to her throat. She opened her eyes, looking around- the memory had been so _real_. She'd never shared memory with a spirit before, never like that... The others looked at her, concern apparent in their eyes.

"What did you see?"

"Dallis- Dallis was here." Vael scratched at the scales of her throat, she still thought she could feel them opening, and yet they were whole and healthy. "They found it. Dallis found it, she has it. Days ago, I think before we even arrived on the Coast..."

The others looked to her, frowning, then to each other. "This isn't good." Ifan scratched at his beard.

"No, not at all." The Prince looked to the plinth again. "Come, we should be away from here, I feel we will learn little more."

Vael nodded, the sensation at her throat slowly fading. She didn't think she'd be doing that again any time soon... "And to think," she muttered to the others as they headed onward, "I could have been here." She looked to the bodies, Magisters and Voidwoken alike. "And if I had, I might just be dead."

They ventured onward, further and deeper into the cave, to the path that they'd not traveled before. As they crested the hill at this end, they found a massive, open cave... Rock walls gave way into a constructed one, but solid stone. She could see pick marks on it, but their picks seemed to have been ineffective, as the Magisters had begun to pile oil barrels in front of it instead. What could they have found here, as well? Something buried so close to where they'd found the Aeteran, something the Magisters hadn't yet plundered... Vael looked to the others, they nodded.

Their group descended on the gathered Magisters, a dead Black Ring at their feet. The fighting was quick and dirty but it was done, leaving Vael and her group standing, the others not. They had grown to work together quite well, and she liked that... They had each other's backs, trusted one another, and had an understanding of what each of them could do and couldn't. Now that the cave fell silent around them, Vae looked back to what they'd been doing at the wall. She could feel the excitement building, something the Magisters hadn't managed to break into yet? Something in the same vault that had contained the Aeteran? She could only _imagine _what might be found within... This is why she'd wanted to come to the Blackpits, in that time so long ago it felt like another life... even though it had only been a week, maybe even less than that... How time flew.

"What do you think, friends? Should we finish what they started?" Vael looked to the wall. "It seems they were almost ready, there are a few more barrels here and then..."

The Prince nodded once, a smile upon his face. "Yes, let's. There is something to be discovered here, I'm sure of it."

Vael looked to Ifan. "I trust you'd be willing to fire a flaming arrow for us?"

He grinned and lifted his crossbow. "More than."

The three of them worked together, piling the barrels and arranging them a little better. Under the Prince's instruction, Vael pushed them closer to the wall, ensuring all of the force would be pressed upon it all at once instead of having to travel through the air first. Then, the three of them retreated to a safe distance and plugged their ears. Ifan fired his crossbow, a bit of cloth from one of the bodies dipped in oil set alight wrapped around the head of his bolt. It lodged in one of the barrels, for a few moments nothing happened-

Then there was a tremendous bang, nearly throwing Vael off of her feet. Even with her hands covering her ears she felt stunned, she could hear ringing long after the smoke began to clear. She shook her head, practically giddy. "Come on!" She hurried forward, the others following, into the new chamber.

As they passed through the rubble, the dust and smoke, they came into a massive chamber. The architecture was something Vael had only ever seen in books... They were in a vault constructed by the Eternals. Those whose existence, for the longest time had been but a whisper of a rumor, spoken of by academics only in hypotheticals, rumored to have come before the Gods themselves or even _been _the Gods themselves... And now she stood in one of their constructions, her hands raised in wonder as she looked around herself. "My... if Dallis hadn't discovered the Aeteran I now thinks that this may just have been the archeological find of the century..."

She looked to the Prince, who seemed oddly subdued. "Come on! You should be ecstatic! Let's go deeper."

He looked to her, smiled. "Oh, yes, sorry, it's just so... overwhelming." He moved after her at a more sedate pace, Ifan following.

Vael hurried forward, across a bridge, up a staircase. Her mind raced. The wall blocking this area was so... different, it clearly wasn't original, so why was it there? As she pressed up the staircase she was met with a sight that took her breath away, a massive, glowing sphere of energy... it almost looked like a vault of some kind, a barrier, even. She looked around, staring at the surroundings. Pillars with the faces of the Gods stood flanking it, and near where Vael stood was some sort of... she didn't know what it was, really. It looked like it was covered in writing, but in a script she couldn't read. This surprised her, she could read quite a few. A skeleton leaned against the support for the odd bit of... sculpture, she supposed, an old diary clutched in its hand.

As Vael leaned over to pick up the diary, her fingers brushed the sculpture and it came to life. She jumped back with a gasp, staring at it at a beam of green light rose over them. It dissipated some distance up, not quite reaching the ceiling overhead. With the light shining overhead, Vael frowned. The strange script, glyphs really, that covered the statue, carved into the surface, somehow they seemed... familiar in a way they hadn't before.

As she tried to read the symbols, she heard a faint whispering in the back of her mind - like the echoes of a past age. Her mind swam and, for a moment, the glyphs became clear. The voice in her mind whispered the words she 'read' to her, imprinting a rhyme or maybe a song onto her mind... it seemed to be a puzzle, of some sort. She shook her head as the whisper began to fade, but the glyphs wavered in her eye and soon enough she couldn't read them any longer.

She frowned and put her hand to her head, shaking her head as she tried to clear it. "Oh... Oh dear, that's a headache." She pinched the bridge of her nose between two fingers. 

The others stared at her, then to the statue, then back to her again. "What did it tell you? We could hear whispering, but... Nothing clear." The Prince crossed his arms. "I'm almost jealous."

She recited the rhyme back to them, it was easy to remember, practically burned into her memory. The last bit seemed particularly important for some reason, "no King will rise again", but she wasn't sure, only that the voice had imparted that to her that tiny bit stronger... It was important for some reason that a king not rise. But there had been many kings over time... She put a hand to her chin, puzzling it out.

The Prince frowned as he considered, Ifan seemed to give up, grumbling about 'no mind for puzzles' as he went to sit down in a corner to wait for the two of them to figure it out.

Vael eventually remembered the diary she'd originally meant to pick up when she'd touched the statue, she picked it up. Whoever it had belonged to had been down here for quite some time, but... apparently this place had been discovered before? She wondered why nobody had finished exploring it, but apparently the locals had bricked up whoever this had been behind the wall they'd destroyed. Maybe, over time, it had simply been forgotten. The diary did seem to have a clue however, each God on one of the pillars tied to an important word.

She showed the Prince, and together they slowly began to figure out the solution. She couldn't imagine she understood why a place like this would have a solution engineered into it, but for some reason, she felt like it had meant to be opened up again, at some point, but when and why she didn't know. Eventually, together, she and the Prince arrived at a conclusion they felt was solid... but how to put it into practice.

"I suppose that we just try to touch the pillars and see what happens." The Prince looked from Vael and then to Ifan, then moved to stand near the statue Vael had touched. "I'll watch from up here."

Vael nodded, they'd scribbled their solution onto the pages of the diary. "Alright! Let me know if anything changes." She went down to the pillars, touching each with a claw as she went. She muttered softly to herself. 'Amadia, Tir-Cendelius, Duna, Zorl-Stissa, Xantessa, Vrogir and then...' Each pillar she'd touched had lit up with the same, glowing silver-green light that the statue itself had. As she reached the end, she could feel her heart fluttering in her chest. "And then... Rhalic."

As Vael touched the last pillar, the entire temple began to shudder and shake, rumbling softly underfoot. One at a time, in reverse order that Vael had touched them, every pillar began to vanish, one after the other after the other, like locks falling away. She gasped, she looked to the Prince. He still seemed... worried, somehow, but he raised a claw toward her, thumbs up. As the last pillar, Amadia, vanished, so too did the magical barrier that separated them from the center of the room. She had no idea what it was, something angular and sharp.

As the structure rumbled and the locks fell away, Ifan slowly stood from where he'd been sitting, watching in awe. He wandered to the edge, looking down at Vael, then glanced to the side, watching the Prince. Vael didn't notice, but he seemed to be praying.

As Vael examined the angular thing in the center of the room, she reached out, just barely touching it. "My word... I really don't have any idea of what this could be, it's almost like..."

Ifan looked from Vael to the Prince, then to the thing in the center. He muttered a quiet 'a coffin' under his breath, then held out a hand toward Vael. "Wait, don't!"

As Vael's fingers touched it, she let out a scream, arching her back, some... _power _surged between her and the coffin. Source, it had stolen some of her Source! She pulled her hand back as quickly as she could, but it was too late. It cracked open and a woman emerged... She crawled free, like a spider, then all around them strange, glowing, crystalline wolves sprang into being, looking down upon Vael, then to Ifan and the Prince, standing above.

The strange woman had wings, but her face was hidden by an intricate mask, Vael only got the barest of glimpses at it before she spun and whirled, disappearing in the air, only to reappear next to Ifan and the Prince. Both stood dumbstruck, staring at her... Vael couldn't tell if it was an effect the woman had or if they were really that surprised...

The strange woman, from behind her mask, began to make a noise. It started as a groaning, croaking chatter, then slowly became more distinct... it was speaking! "Mey s'aravel tay de larentou chamorie?"

Vael blinked several times, then looked to the others. They still stared at the woman, but eventually began to recover, stepping back. Ifan looked to Vael, unsure, but the Prince stood as if he was meeting a foreign dignitary. Vael felt as if she recognized some of the sounds... there was a chirp of elven here and a grunt of orcish there. "If only I had some parchment," she muttered. She'd forgotten about the diary in her hands.

After Vael spoke, the odd woman seemed to pause, then stare down at her all the more intently despite her mask. "It wears the face of Zorl-Stissa but speaks the tongue of beasts. How cruel." The voice was jolting, lurching like it was struggling to speak.

Vael stood dumbfounded. Had she... learned the language that quickly?

"I suspected the Seven lords won the war after they locked me here, but seeing their faces on dumb creatures? A depressing confirmation." The creature just seemed... disappointed.

Vael stared for several moments, surely not helping the woman's observation of 'dumb creatures', then shook her head. "Zorl-Stissa? Seven lords? Do you mean the Gods?" She couldn't believe she was speaking to-

"Gods? What is this senseless braying? The Seven Lords were Eternals, just as I am."

Vael felt her jaw fall open. She and Zorl-Stissa were going to have words after this. Many, many words. She felt Zorl-Stissa starting to stir inside of her, but she resolutely pushed her down just as she'd done her anger so many times before, with practiced ease. Vael tried to put her best foot forward, she imagined that she probably hadn't been making the best impression so far, but she was just so shocked! "Forgive me, but... you seem to know who we are and we have no idea who you are. Might I get a name?"

The woman leaned forward to get a better look at Vael, clucking, and tutting under her breath. "It seems to be a simple form, at its core: a Source vat. A walking, unfortunately talking, Source vat. Fascinating. I wonder. How to extract the Source from the vessel without-" The woman stopped short and gasped.

Vael felt as if she had an inkling of what the woman meant, but she couldn't quite put it into words. It danced just out of reach like it was being held back by an unseen hand, and for a moment she thought she might just know whose hand.

The masked woman continued, sounding shocked. "It's _rotting_. Almost imperceptible, but it decays before my eyes. It must have no more than a century or two left!"

Zorl-Stissa stirred furiously, confirming for Vael who was keeping a fact that she knew was _right there_ just out of her mind, and at the confirmation, she pushed her down. She'd grown up her whole life forcing anger down, she could feel Zorl-Stissa's anger and fury and _fear _swirling inside of her... She knew exactly how to repress it. She felt Zorl-Stissa struggling for control, but this was _her_ body, and they had agreed to try to do things Vael's way... and Vael's way was going to lead to a hell of a conversation the next time they spoke. Struggling to keep Zorl-Stissa down, Vael looked to the woman above her. She could see Ifan, to one side, undergoing a similar struggle, but the Prince stood resolute, as calm and collected as if he was waiting for his tea. "What... what's behind your mask?" She'd wanted to ask a more delicate question but with the current inner struggle, tact seemed to have gone out of the window...

"An Eternal does not answer questions from whatever creatures happen to lumber into view! Especially when there is so much to be learned about their Source..." The woman tapped a finger along her chin. "What happens to it, I wonder? Does it lie in whatever ditch it falls in as its body decays? Or - ah, no, of course. It is _harvested_."

Zorl-Stissa thrashed against Vael's control, from deep within she could hear her Goddess' voice, hissing that this creature was dangerous, that it cannot be trusted... but knowing her Goddess, what she'd tried to do before... Vael knew that meant that whatever this woman said was probably more accurate than Vael could realize.

"To have had the technology of the Eternals and made this? How crude. Although effective, in its own way..."

Vael continued to struggle to keep Zorl-Stissa down. "Effective at what?" There was a truth, hiding here, just a moment away-! She had to know...

"Poor creature. Created for a sole purpose, and yet so ignorant of its function." The woman gestured like she was lecturing a small child, which Vael supposed compared to her she probably was... "It is a tool to collect Source until it is ready to be collected. Most likely by its creator. And given that face, I can well imagine who your creator may be. What a lazy way to feed one's power. And one's ego."

There it was, the truth Vael had figured out as the woman spoke, that had been kept out of view until it was said and could no longer be hidden away. In her shock, Vael finally lost the battle with Zorl-Stissa, and the Goddess broke free in a lurch of fury.

_'Aetera, you worm! An eternity locked away was too good for you - I should have seen you ground to dust and fed to the wind. Your heresies deserve nothing less.' _Vael felt a prisoner in her own body, now that Zorl-Stissa had control it would not be relented, not yet. She struggled against the Goddess but even in her weakened state, she was so strong... Maybe Vael _should _have taken more when she had the chance.

The woman recoiled as it struck, Ifan smiled at the new exchange. The Prince seemed all-too smug. "Zorl-Stissa! What- what _happened _to you? Did you truly fall so far?"

_'Silence! It is your King that has fallen. He and all the other Eternal cowards were flung into the Void. And the power you were too scared to hunt has made me a God.' _Vael fought against the control over her and she felt like she was winning, slowly, far too slowly for her liking, but she was, slowly, winning.

"And yet, here you stand. Small, weak - decaying. I will not even need the Aeteran to grind you into the dust." Aetera reminded Vael of nothing so much at that moment as the Prince. Smug.

At the mention of the word 'Aeteran', Zorl-Stissa froze. Vael seized the chance, forced her back down, this was her body, damnit! "What's the Aeteran!?"

The masked woman seemed pleased, to some degree, that Vael had regained control of herself. "The beast's unruly passenger did not deign to tell it. She did not want her host to know I crafted a weapon that would leave her an Eternal once more."

Vael struggled, she could feel Zorl-Stissa rising again, she _only just _managed to keep her down, but her Goddess managed to croak a 'Where...'

"Ha! Of course, you never found it! You always lacked imagination, _my lady._" Vael could feel the sarcasm in the words from here and they weren't even directed at her- or, at least, not _really. _"I hid it in these very caves, although I can feel its distance now. Someone has uncovered it. Perhaps _they _intend to flay the godliness from you? No matter - given your pathetic state, it is mine to collect at my leisure." Aetera finally turned her attention to Vael herself, rather than her own musings or the suddenly, suspiciously, no longer struggling Zorl-Stissa. "As for you, you monstrosity, you were designed to be defective; you were built to die. And I rather think it is time you fulfilled your function. But do not fear, I shall put your Source to good use."

Somehow, deep within, Vael had known that was coming- there was no other way a conversation with someone like this could end.


	38. The Red Prince

Like a switch being flipped, the dogs had gone from being passive and more or less silent to raging attackers the likes of which Vael had hardly seen before. They reminded her of _her _when she let the anger take hold, attacking with such abandon and fury that it was clear they cared little for themselves... only taking down whatever had their attention. The mirror was so clear and so acute that it would have made Vael introspective... if she weren't currently trying to fight off a crystalline beast that was intent on tearing her throat out.

The woman, Aetera, as the fighting broke out, she _laughed. _Not a mocking laugh, she wasn't making fun of the trio, not directly at least... But her laughter was high-pitched, happy... Like this was a bit of a lark before she sat down to dinner. It became clear she wasn't taking any of this seriously in the slightest. She flitted away upon her wings, working a spell to turn the ground beneath Ifan and the Prince's feet to ice, landing softly some distance away, staff pointed at the pair.

The Prince had seen the spell coming, he dodged to the side, dodging his own set of dogs- there were two down near Vael, another two up near Ifan and the Prince. They had Aetera herself to deal with as well, something that Vael knew was going to be no easy task. The Prince rolled as he dodged, coming up to his feet. His shield deflected the strike of the first dog, turning it aside, Ifan tried to dodge the second and fell, barely managing to roll under snapping jaws as the dog's own charge sent it skittering across the ice.

Vael swung her blade, she could feel the anger rising within her- though Zorl-Stissa had gone quiet, this rage was not entirely Vael's own, stronger and more intense than she had known before but so, so familiar. As her blade made contact the flame on her hands and weapon burst into being, searing and even partially _melting _the dog she attacked. That seemed to leave a mark upon it as it flinched and jumped and scrabbled away from the blow. The other dog circled the sarcophagus, as Vael now knew that was what it was, that Aetera had been resting within, forcing Vael to leap over it to avoid snapping jaws.

The Prince blocked and dodged, avoiding snapping jaws at his feet and tail. He called upon his own draconic heritage, he spit flame, leaving a massive swathe of it across the ground, burning and melting the dogs attacking himself and Ifan- perhaps spurred on by Vael's own success with it. This earned himself and Ifan a reprieve, a moment without snapping jaws and rending claws tearing at them and their armor. Ifan searched for higher ground but there was none to find, instead, he took cover, finding a spot where the statue on the higher level could protect him from some of Aetera's magical attacks, firing bolts at her, her dogs, whatever came into view. Most bolts that launched at Aetera she simply turned aside with that same lilting, pleasant laugh.

Aetera turned aside another of Ifan's bolts and took to the air again, she rose above them all and spun, holding out her arms as she summoned a hail of ice and snow, scattering flurries of it across the ground. She immediately held out a hand, waving it over the ice she'd created, she drew it back, against herself, clenched her fist- the ice she'd created shattered into shards, launched up from the ground, every surface it had covered. Ifan shielded himself with his arm but he came away with cuts across his face and shards buried in his armor. Vael and the Prince's heavier armors protected them, as did their scales.

Vael dodged one dog's bite only to be hounded by another, she felt teeth rend across her armor, not quite making it through but leaving massive indents- she knew she wouldn't want to feel those teeth across her scales, she needed to be more careful. She swung at the dogs, every swipe of her blade leaving a trail of flame in its wake, the ice and water from Aetera's spells being flash-boiled to steam by the heat of them, leaving lingering clouds hanging lazily in the damp air of the cave. Vael finally found purchase in one of the dogs, a savage overhead swing that shattered the crystals across its back and sent it reeling to flop down upon the stone floor of Aetera's prison. 

The Prince's blade found purchase as well, stabbing into the side of the nearest dog, sending freezing, cursed blood splattering across him and the ground, coating his armor in frost. Ifan's bolts found a home in another, slamming into it, sending it reeling until another bolt crashed through its skull, sending it to the ground. Vael had seen this effect with things before, these dogs... they reminded her so very much of Voidwoken, cursed fluids spilling from them upon death.

Aetera seemed to take things a little more seriously now that the dogs had fallen, there was no more laughter. She landed, alighted upon one of the pillars the God-carvings had rested upon before they disappeared. She raised her staff, she changed a spell, summoning a lingering rainstorm. With the ice and snow already created by her it created a slippery surface that even Vael and the Prince's claws would have difficulty finding purchase in. The dogs' cursed blood found it easier to spread, slipping through the water Aetera summoned. She slammed her staff onto the ground, there was a growl, and Ifan found another dog staring him down, summoned into being by their foe.

Vael swung as hard as she could, driving the other dog back, spreading her flames, turning more snow to vapor, until one final strike slammed into it, sending pieces of crystal scattering across the ground. "Prince! Ifan! Down here!" She ran across the ground, toward the stairs, toward clear, solid, dry ground underfoot. She began to run back toward the pair, toward Aetera... She had a blade with the Eternal woman's name on it.

Ifan rolled and scurried away from the dog that had been summoned in directly next to him, avoiding snapping jaws, though not completely. One caught him across his arm, tearing into his armor, but thankfully not through. He pushed himself back, off the statue, onto his back, skidding across the ground. The dog chased him, charging at him, Ifan placed the crossbow across his belly and fired between his legs, striking the summoned dog in the head and sending it skidding across the ice until it plummeted down to where Aetera's coffin lay.

Aetera realized she was now alone against the three, she raised her staff in one hand, she slammed it down. All around her spread a layer of solid ice, she extended a hand, a blade of it forming around her hand, extending up her arm until it was one solid 'blade' of ice that looked wickedly sharp. She took up a dueling stance, ready for whatever the three could throw her way... though, at this moment, it was only two.

Ifan stopped sliding and pushed himself to his feet, readied his crossbow, fired. Aetera turned the bolt aside with a flick of her staff, the magical barrier still holding strong between herself and him. The Prince raised his weapon, charged at her, shield held before himself. Aetera fired her icicle-blade at him, it shattered against his shield but nearly pierced straight through, bending and warping the metal to the point it was nearly useless.

She created another as he reached her, and ice met steel as the Prince dueled her, his face set. Ifan couldn't get a clear shot, Vael was out of range, the would-be emperor of the Ancient Empire dueled the Eternal Aetera. Chips of ice, sparks of steel as sword met staff, ruined shield barely able to deflect blows. Vael hurried onward as quickly as her feet could carry her, but it was a long way around to reach the pair.

Vael finally skirted around the final pillar, her ears full of the ringing of metal against metal, ice against shield and armor. Ifan had rushed closer, trying to help the Prince with his own short blade but a blow from the Eternal's staff and a flash of ice sent him skidding across the floor. Vael raised her sword, charging in, Aetera saw her opportunity and took it. She deflected the Prince to the side, crashed her staff down across his shield, sending it skittering to the stones as the straps holding it to his arm finally broke loose.

Aetera leveled the ice around her arm at Vael and fired it- Or, she had clearly meant to. She looked down at herself, through her middle was the Prince's blade. She looked to it, looked to him. He grinned. She gasped, stumbled, the Prince released his sword... Aetera turned and pressed her blade directly against his middle.

Vael screamed as ice erupted from his back, shocking him where he stood. He looked down at himself, ice protruding from his front. Aetera took one step, her foot faltered, she collapsed upon the ground, the Prince's blade still lodged within.

The Prince turned to Vael, he looked directly at her, he opened his mouth to say something, to make some comment, blood dribbled from between his lips.

Vael dropped her sword, she rushed to his side, cradling him as he fell. Vael could see ice, cursed ice, slowly spreading up through him, turning his beautiful red scales a pale, icy blue. She held him against herself, her hand behind his head, tears falling freely from her eyes. "Prince, no, please... please... Why, why couldn't you have let it be me..." Vael looked to Ifan as he skidded to a halt next to the Prince, shocked at just how bad it was. She looked up to him, tears falling across her cheeks. "Ifan, please, tell me..." She begged him, pleaded with him to something, anything to save her Prince.

He stared down at her, down at the Prince, then slowly shook his head. "This is... this is beyond me, Vael. This may well be beyond any healer we've ever met." His voice almost cracked, barely held. He sank to his knees beside them, his hands on his thighs. "I'm sorry."

The Prince reached up, his hand already icy cold. "V-vael... do I look... regal?"

She almost laughed- almost. She reached up, taking his hand in hers, feeling it against her scales. "Never better." They both knew it was a lie, but still, he smiled.

"Ah, it was always..." He closed his eyes and Vael's heart froze, she thought she'd lost him, but they opened again, full of pain... the knowledge that this was the end. "It was always... me or you." He clenched his teeth, shuddered at the ice running through him, slowly freezing him from within, making it harder and harder to breathe. "She t-told me, you know. It could be me. I'd be the D-divine." He struggled to speak. "B-but... our people would suffer. I had to... to make the choice. I knew it would come to this, here. She..." He gasped harshly for breath, his voice coming like a whisper now. "She showed me..."

Vael could feel his grip slipping from her own and she sobbed, pulling him tighter against herself. "Please, don't do this. We need you. Please, Prince..." She bowed her head. "Don't." Even knowing that it would come, it didn't make it any easier. Seeing him, her Prince, her friend, fading away before her eyes, helpless to do anything about it.

"Promise me... Promise me you will save Sadha. And our children." He looked up to Vael, even his eyes slowly starting to turn blue, his beautiful, ember-colored eyes that had burned like the sun. "Save... her."

Vael nodded her head so quickly she felt like she would make herself dizzy, but she needed him to see it, to know. She wouldn't fail him. "We will, Prince. We'll save her. You have my word." Her voice cracked. "I promise."

He smiled up at her, his eyes closing. "I trust you." He took in one last breath, his body shuddering. "You'll... make a good Divine."

With his eyes closed, the Prince wheezed one last slow, soft breath out, then went still. 

He was gone.


	39. Goodbyes and Greetings

Vael cried. She cried harder than she could remember crying for anyone else before him. In the few, short days that she'd known him, too short, the Red Prince had made such a massive impression on her left that now, she didn't know what to do without him. If it wasn't for Ifan, placing his hand on her shoulder, telling her it was time, she may just have sat there in Aetera's prison and let herself fade away. She knew she was being dramatic, running away with things, but she didn't want to face the stark fact. That he was gone, and she would be forced to go on. 

Vaeltorya looked up, hoping that _maybe _he would be there, that this was all a bad dream, or maybe his spirit would linger on and she'd get to talk to him one last time... But there was no such luck, no such blessing. Aside from Ifan, she was alone. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to take a deep breath, then looked down at him. If it wasn't for the cold blue color that marred his red scales, she would have thought he was sleeping. "He needs a proper lizard funeral. We have to give him that."

Ifan nodded once, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I don't know anything about them, but I'm sure you'll do right by him."

Vael breathed a snort through her nose. "He deserves so much more. So, so much more. Back home there would be priests, mourners, rites performed..." She looked up, through the way they'd come. "Here... it may be all that we can do to give him a proper pyre."

She thought of trying to bring him to the cemetery, to the lizard district there, but between the two of them... She paused. She looked to Ifan, her face set. "I need rope. Can you get me that?"

He nodded once, stood, then hurried off.

Vael ran her hands gently over the scales of his cheek, then carefully slid out from beneath him. They would do right by him.

With wood from crates and barrels lashed together, they built a litter to carry him properly, then began the long, slow trail out of the caverns. Fittingly, it was still and quiet, only the sound of running water from somewhere deeper in the cave to disturb their thoughts. Whatever had been attracting the Voidwoken had ceased, or they were content with standing around where the Aeteran used to be because the pair weren't bothered. They emerged out into the bright sun of the day, but Vael could not feel the warmth of the sun. She looked up, frowning, and thought that it looked redder than it had before they'd entered the cave.

She looked to Ifan as they walked along. "Does it look different to you?" She motioned to the sun.

He smirked slightly, just enough to crack the grim visage of his face. "Maybe it's in mourning."

"Maybe it is."

It took a long time, longer than Vael had honestly been expecting, but they carried him, on that litter, all the way to the lizard quarter of the graveyard. Where he'd at least be among their own kin. With Ifan's help, Vael carefully arranged him, his hands over his middle, his bent shield(that she'd done her best to hammer back into some semblance of shape) placed over his chest, his sword at his side.

Together, the two friends lowered him carefully into the flames, then stepped back to watch as they began to crawl up the litter they'd created for him, and the Prince himself.

Vael crossed her arms in front of herself, holding onto her wrist with her other hand as she watched. Ifan stood nearby, standing still and silent. Vael looked toward him out of the corner of her eye. "Is there anything you want to say?"

Ifan stared at the Prince long and hard, then nodded, just once. "He was a good man. And a good friend. I would have liked to have known him in better times. Before... all this." He swallowed hard, stared a moment longer, then nodded, looking to Vael.

She smiled, just a hair. "I think he would have appreciated it." She couldn't think of anything to say, herself. Couldn't think of the words. Finally, all she could manage to gather was a soft, quiet, "I'll miss him." 

She considered for some time, wondering if there was any way she could manage to do anything... then she remembered there was someone who was. She reached, deep down within herself, for the 'space' that she felt Zorl-Stissa inhabited, and she grabbed hold of it. _You did this. _She thought. _You made it come to this. You make it right. _

For a time, Vael thought there might be no answer. She closed her eyes, she tried to do the proper thing. She prayed.

Then, her mouth opened. A voice, not her own, at first weak and quiet, began to sing. It was a song that Vael remembered from her childhood; they'd heard it coming from a church once, but it was different, the words were different... older, far older. The words carried quietly out across the graveyard, filling the silent air with their melody. The pace was slow, and though the words were too old for her to make out, she remembered the fleeting snippets she'd heard so long ago. She knew it sang of still deserts, of quiet, warm nights, a perfect oasis in the sand to stop and rest weary feet. Of a journey ending safe at home at long last.

When the voice finally stopped and the last notes of the song were carried away into the still air, Vael closed her eyes. _Thank you. _There was a tiny burst of warmth from within her, and then silence reigned once more. Vael looked to Ifan, listening to the crackling sounds as the flames carried their Prince away. "I want to leave now. I never want to see this place again."

He reached out and took her by the shoulder, leading her slowly out of the graveyard.

As they walked slowly down the road out of the graveyard, Vael glanced aside to Ifan. "You... you understood what she said, right? What Aetera said?" She'd learned so much today, normally she'd be ecstatic, happy, and yet...

"I understood most of it, yes. I..." He went silent for a moment as they walked. "Rhalic said that she was lying. That it wasn't true. But... it is, isn't it?"

Vael frowned. "I think it is. They made us... to feed themselves. Their hunger for Source." She couldn't even find the capacity within herself to be angry about it.

He shook his head. "Somehow I'm not surprised, and even less surprised that they lied to us about it." He put his hands in his pockets, crossbow slung across his back. "I feel like I'm going to have some proper words with him when I see him next."

"You and me both." She had a great, great many things she wanted to discuss with her Goddess when they next met face to face.

As they continued on, closer to the Paladin outpost, Vael tried to think. She knew they still needed to find another teacher, to open themselves to more Source, but she almost wondered if her heart was even in it anymore. Maybe she could support Ifan, let him take the mantle... She just didn't feel suited to the task. Didn't feel worthy of it. And yet... If she did, she could fix so many things. Make so many things right. She could save Sadha, serve her people, serve the others... Maybe she _could _make a good Divine if she really put in the effort... But she just didn't know if she could handle the responsibility of it.

Ifan reached out to take her arm, frowning. "Do you hear that?"

She looked at him, tilted her head to the side. In the time they'd been walking, a rainstorm had blown in- Vael had liked to think that maybe the sun was still mourning her lost spouse, but as she really listened, she realized she could hear other sounds that weren't rain. Screams, the clash of metal on metal. She looked to Ifan, her eyes wide. "The Paladins."

They broke into a run as they hurried onward, finding the Paladin outpost under attack. Black-clad men in cloaks had all-but overrun the Paladins. The defenders on the walls had already fallen, only two remained, Hardwin and one other that Vael hadn't recognized before. Vael thought that they'd picked a very bad time to try to attack someone, as she most certainly wasn't in the mood for them. She and Ifan crashed into them from behind, dispatching black-cloaked figures... she realized that they were the undead, and bones shattered easily under a blow. They dispatched them with ruthless efficiency, and Vael found it cathartic to work out some of her sorrows and frustrations upon her foes. By the time it was done, she almost felt somewhat normal again.

The Paladin, Hardwin, looked the two of them up and down. "When we didn't receive your war owl, I thought the worst." He looked around them at the carnage that surrounded them. "Now I'm just glad you're here." He began to slowly pick up his desk and his papers that had scattered to the winds. "What's the word?"

"We discovered that the White Magisters in the Blackpits were working with the Black Ring. Together they found a mass purging device- similar to the one used to turn people into Silent Monks." She looked over her shoulder and felt a pang in her gut when only Ifan stood there. "We would have sent an owl, but..." Her voice cracked. "Something happened."

The Paladin looked from her to Ifan and back again, then nodded his head once, but it was clear he was trying to hide an outburst. When he did speak, his voice quickly rose in intensity. "The Black Ring? A _purging device? Silent monks!?" _By the end, he slammed his hand into his newly-righted desk. "This is an outrage! I must send a war owl to Arx immediately, my superiors must know of this." He pulled out a blank sheet of paper, picked up his pen, and then began to write.

Vael thought of asking him for their pay, but the thought of it made her taste ash in her mouth. She nodded once to him, then gestured for Ifan to follow her and walked away.

They continued on their path to the West and North, toward Bloodmoon Island. Their last stop in this tour of the Coast. Vael wondered what would have happened if they'd come here first? Would it have been better? Worse? Would something else have happened? She felt like she was going to drive herself crazy with 'what-if's and forced herself to put it out of her mind.

As they reached a ruin across the road, Vael looked up. She could see the coast out ahead of them and knew that it wasn't far to their destination. They walked up the steps, into the ruin itself... It looked like it had almost been a cathedral once, a statue still stood over an intricately-designed floor mural, another mural on the other side of the building was missing its statue. Maybe it had just been a waystation or a trading post, she didn't know. Up ahead, however, the bridge was out- they'd need to look for another way around.

Vael looked to Ifan. "Any ideas?" She felt like her voice still sounded flat, she was trying to cheer herself up, to think of something else, but her heart just wasn't in it.

"No." He looked around them. "But there's supposed to be a Sourcerer around here somewhere, isn't there? Maybe they have an idea."

Vael nodded her head slowly. "That... is a good idea." She managed a fraction of a smirk. "And you said you didn't have any." They didn't know where this Sourcerer might be, but she supposed looking along the coast might be a good start. They'd come from the East and hadn't seen anyone, so the only thing for it was to head more West and hope for the best.

The road they traveled down ended up heading a bit South, but since North was Bloodmoon across the water, Vael supposed it made sense. They didn't spot any homes along the road, just more fields, but soon they found a break in the trees and an old, massive log forming a bridge over the river. Vael glanced to Ifan and gestured toward it, then shrugged, which he returned.

They broke off of the road and headed up the log- Vael had a good feeling about it, she could see where boots had marred the wood and moss that grew over it, showing at least one other person had traveled here. It could have been a hunter or something like that, of course, but it could just be their Sourcerer.

As they ventured up the log and through the trees after it, Vael could hardly believe their luck. There stood a man who looked like he just might be a Sourcerer... but something pulled her up short. There was a cage there and standing within it was an honest to goodness demon, clear as day. Whoever this man was... She looked back to Ifan as they slowed to a walk. "He's either insane or..."

"A Sourcerer," Ifan finished with a nod.

As they walked closer, the man turned toward them. He looked poised; regal even, and wholly at ease despite the unsettling nearness of the horror in the cage. He motioned for them. "Go on. Step in from the shadows. Let's have a look at the wanderer lost in the woods."

Vael raised a brow but slowly stepped forward toward him.

"There is much weakness in revelation. What upper hand you had, you've lost." He eyed Vael with a sudden intensity; it made her feel like a weight upon a scale, balanced against an unknown measure. "I stand corrected. It is in the revelation that you show your upper hand." He sighed, almost contentedly, it seemed like; he darted his eyes to his demon, then to them. "The roads are rather dusty today, aren't they, Godwoken? May I offer you anything to drink?"

Vael almost wanted to ask how he knew they were Godwoken, but people seemed to be able to see that about them with alarming regularity, so she decided not to bother. A drink, though... She could certainly use one of those. "We have walked hard roads today. I would have that drink. And my companion, too." She stepped forward with Ifan.

He poured three glasses of wine, handed one to Vael and one to Ifan. "Cheers."

Vael couldn't bring herself to say the word, but she clinked her glass against his and Ifan's, who did manage a quiet 'cheers'. Their new 'friend' noticed their demureness, but deigned not to comment on it. "To your very good health, I'm sure. Now then, please allow me to introduce myself: I am Jahan. Above all, I am a demon hunter; underneath it all, I am what those with a flair for hyperbole call a Master of the Source."

Vael breathed a quiet little sigh of relief. "Wouldn't you believe we're looking for someone just like you."

"Of course you are. That is what Godwoken do. The answer to your next question, by the by, is yes, I will teach you - if you do something for me first." He gestured elegantly with a hand. "Quid pro quo, I'm afraid. A tad vulgar of me, that much I admit, but needs must when the demon drives."

Vael was just hoping it was something straightforward. Someone to kill, not some new ruin to explore or a cow to cart to the next town over or Gods-know-what else someone like him could come up with.

"It will come as no surprise I suppose, that it is a demon that drives me to seek your benevolence. I've been hunting him for a long time, and now I've managed to track him down to the island over yonder." He pointed to the North- to Bloodmoon Island, where they were going to go anyway. "I know it's there. My caged guests have confirmed as much, but to my great frustration, I cannot reach my goal. Deathfog surrounds the island, and through Deathfog even I cannot past. That is where you come in."

Vael cracked her knuckles, this goal she could get behind, especially now with the mood she was in. But Deathfog... She looked toward him hesitantly. "We're good at a lot of things between the thr-" She paused, swallowed hard, then forced herself to continue. "Two... of us. But immune to Deathfog we are not."

"Of course. You are but a mortal - for now. But you are Godwoken as well. Surely you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Consider it a test. Kill the demon, and I will be your teacher." He held out a hand toward her.

Vael nodded, she reached forward, taking the hand. "We'll do it."

"Then let me describe your target." He pulled his hand back after a good, firm shake. "The demon's guise, or vessel - one can't be quite certain - is that of a lizard known only as 'the Advocate'. Like all of his ilk, he is kind. He is charming. He will offer you what you desire most at seemingly no cost at all. There is no such thing as no cost at all."

Vael managed a smirk. "What I want most of all, not even the Gods could give."

He smiled a fraction in reply, giving a slight nod of his head. "All the same, my advice is to strike before he even has a chance to speak, but should you choose to disregard me, should you allow him to parley, all you have to do is say 'no'. Above all else, remember _that_."

Vael nodded once. "We'll get to it right away. Do you know anything, any insight, about reaching the island?"

"Deathfog obscures any approach and hangs thick over the collapsed bridge that led to the isle from the Driftwood road." He squinted, pointing a finger that he bounced up and down. "But there is more than the mist alone there, though: magic that evades my eyes. I also spotted a sloop further down the shoreline, but of course, a quiet afternoon's boating trip will be quite ruined once one hits Deathfog-shrouded waters."

Vael looked back to Ifan, then back to Jahan. "Magic that evades your eyes? We didn't see anything, but we can take a second look." She raised a hand to him, put two fingers to her temple, and 'saluted' him as she motioned for Ifan to follow her, draining the last of her wine as she went. "We'll be back when the demon's dead, all the same."

"Good hunting!" he called after them.


	40. The Advocate

Now that they'd been informed as to what to look for, Vael and Ifan returned to the bridge. They hadn't approached too closely to the end of it before, no reason to go out across a broken bridge over Deathfog-covered water, but now that they knew something must be there... They stepped closer to the edge and leaned over, and sure enough, floating platforms of the used-to-be bridge still remained. Vael didn't know if they had been caused by magic, or if it was the lingering projection of the bridge itself, or something else, but there _were _still platforms they could use to cross... they were just invisible to anyone without the ability to see spirits as they did.

"Do you think they're solid?" Vael looked back to Ifan.

"Try throwing something onto them." He pointed to a barrel that rested nearby on the edge of the bridge.

Vael nodded, then took hold of it, and with a great heave she tossed it over onto one of the platforms. It landed with a fairly satisfying thud, wobbled, then toppled over the edge into the water. She hummed to herself, then retrieved one of their teleporter pyramids. "I guess it's time to try these again."

With the help of the teleporter pyramids and some very careful throws, Vael and Ifan soon enough made it across the bridge- but Vael soon found herself having flashbacks to the cave they'd found Mordus within. Odd, fleshy growths covered the ground ahead, the structures that still stood over the island, half-grown over the wooden gate that sat closed between themselves and the rest of the island. She pulled her blade free of the sheath across her back and rested it on her shoulder, staring uncomfortably at the growths. She turned to Ifan, motioning toward the island. "Do we go in swinging?"

He pulled his crossbow free with a nod. "He knows more about hunting demons than we do. I suggest we take his advice. Kill them first, ask questions later."

Vael nodded grimly. "Sounds like a plan to me."

They rushed ahead, throwing the wooden gate open and to the side. Someone who looked very much like an elf tried to greet them, calling up to them in a strange, struggling voice. "Greetings and sh-ss-salutations! Have no fear, we mean you no harm..." He trailed off as Vael strode closer, face twisting into a mask of confusion as he struggled to speak- Vael felt as if he'd been rehearsing this, but she didn't really know why... and wasn't about to find out. He threw up his hands as her blade swung down at him. "No harm. No harm. Noharmnoharmnoharm!" He didn't manage to say whatever it was he'd been planning to say next. 

The other two were slow to react, too slow for Ifan and Vael. With the welcoming party cut down, Vael had no illusions that the rest of the island would be friendly and didn't want to give them the chance to talk. She knew little about demons, but what little she did know told her to avoid them at all costs... and if you couldn't, kill first and ask questions never. She heard voices coming from the West, so West was where they went.

They stumbled upon a massive group of them, thinking, maybe, just for a moment, they'd managed to get in somewhat over their heads. However, with teamwork, good thinking from Ifan more than once, and the strength of Vael's blade arm, they managed to cut their way through. They found who they were looking for, the Advocate, staring at them over a desk. "Do you know what you've done!? Do you know who I am, who I serve!?" he shouted to them as they approached him, Vael's blade held before herself, Ifan's crossbow leveled.

"No, and we really don't care." He proved to be tougher to put down than the others, but between Vael's sword and Ifan's crossbow coming at him both at the same time, he hardly stood a chance. One of his dogs managed to grab hold of Vael's arm, but she'd been able to shake it free while Ifan kept the Advocate distracted. Between the two of them, he finally went down to a sword strike across the chest and a bolt burying itself in his shoulder. He hissed angrily at them before he was ended and the island was relatively quiet once again.

Vael looked around herself and found a spirit staring down at them. She couldn't tell from here what the expression was, but as she walked closer, she could see it plain as day- relief. "By the Seven and all the saints, I ne'er dreamed I'd be grateful to be lying cold on the ground. I'm finally rid of that demon. Finally rid of that bloody voice." 

She placed her hand on her chest and bowed to him. "I'm glad that we could do something for you, I hope relief does not come too late."

They headed back up deeper into the island. "Now we need to find the archive, then I think we may just be done here."

Ifan nodded, placing his crossbow back into the sling across his back. "The problem is..." He looked out over the island, covered in growths and ruins. "Where is it?"

Vael shook her head with a frown. "I don't know. But we need to look. It's here, somewhere."

They traveled around the island, looking for anything that might be an archive. They found more scattered groups of demons, but with the main force broken and their numbers dwindling, they didn't put up much of a fight. As they traveled around toward the northern arm of the island, they came across a gristly sight... old piles of bodies and corpses, rotting, but with spirits tangled together and around and within them until they appeared to be one solid mass.

Vael noticed a spirit in priestly robes drifting from pile to pile, blessing them and speaking prayers of them. She stepped closer, maybe she could learn from him or his memories, maybe he was still coherent enough to speak to. "Merciful Seven, smile upon your fallen servants... Brother Ashewell, Brother Triskel, Sister Revria... usher them forth into the Hall of Echoes..."

As Vael stepped closer, raising a hand to him in greeting, the spirit realized she was there, and to Vael's surprise, began to speak to her. She thought surely they had been here too long to still be coherent, but perhaps not... or maybe he was just that strong of will.

"Sourcerer. This island is nothing but death - you should leave." Vael could hear the pain echoing in his ghostly voice, whatever happened here troubled him greatly.

"Sourcerer? You can recognize that in us?" It seemed even the dead could see them that clearly, she wondered how it managed that the Magisters didn't...

"I am well versed in such things. I, my brothers and sisters studied the wonderous, the arcane, the malignant... easier to fight evil forces when you understand them."

Vael glanced back to Ifan with a hint of a smirk. "If only some others knew that, huh?"

"Corrupt things have long stalked the fringes of our world - demons. Here, we sought to help those who fell prey to the foul creatures." The spirit cast a rueful look over the mounds of dead. "No more."

"What happened here? We're looking for something, an archive, but our searches of the island..."

The spirit uttered a sigh, a heavy heart still weighing him down even having parted from his body. "This island was once a place of learning, of healing. We were Rivellon's sword and shield against the demons who preyed upon the weak. One of our number, a doctor, brought an invalid before us; an elven maiden who had become infested with some... _presence_. It was powerful - _too _powerful, so we sealed it and the poor elf it inhabited in our deepest vaults... Sometimes incarceration was the best we could muster, in such dire cases."

The spirit sighed once more as it continued. "But the doctor who found her was determined to make a name for himself. He attempted a cleansing ritual, but he only served to strengthen the demon's grasp over the elf. The demon possessed him. Soon the whole island was overrun with monstrosities and bathed in blood -" He gestured to the piles of corpses. "Our blood. It's a corrupt place now - no good thing has cause to be here."

Vael nodded, looking around herself, the bodies and growths that slowly covered them. "We don't wish to remain here long, but the archive... We need to find it."

The spirit judged her for some time, then raised a hand and pointed Northeast. "I cannot tell you what state it is in now, but it is there. With luck, you'll find it."

Vael bowed her head. "Thank you."

As they traveled the island, searching still, though they at least had a direction to look in, Vael began to notice something. The growths that covered the island seemed to grow from the inside out, they grew thicker as they moved closer to the center of the island and hadn't quite yet reached the shore in certain places. Whatever was corrupting the island seemed to be doing it from the center. She pointed this out to Ifan and he nodded.

"Yes, I noticed. I've heard... sounds coming from the center, we may need to investigate."

Vael nodded in reply, then continued on. They passed what looked to have been a forge or workshop before the island was overrun, but could find no sign of an archive within it- though it did give them hope that they were at least headed in the right direction. Further on they found more ruins, these with an entryway and staircase that seemed to descend directly into the corrupted ground. "If I was an archive, this is where I might be, I imagine..." She muttered as she began to look for a way down.

She soon found what she was looking for. Near the base of the staircase, half-buried in the ground, they found what had once been a door, but through collapse over time and the island's current state, had been turned horizontal- it now resembled more of a hatch than a door. Vael motioned for Ifan's help, and with the two of them, some digging, and some good old-fashioned arm-strength, they managed to wrench it open. Darkness greeted them below, but the growth covering the island hadn't penetrated down into it- not yet.

"I think we may have found it. Come on." Vael slipped through, followed by her friend.

They traveled down what remained of the staircase, down a ladder at the end of that, and ended up in a vast underground vault. The smell hit Vael's nose at once: old, musty books. "Volumes upon volumes...", she muttered as she walked forward. Shelves lined the walls, lined the center of the room where they'd been pushed together. "I can't imagine the treasure trove of knowledge that was recorded here."

"And yet we're not even here for a book." Ifan stepped past her, looking for what they were be seeking, the second piece of Anathema.

Vael had to resist the urge to go pouring through the books. Maybe she could just pick up one or two... her thoughts wandered, she knew who else might have wanted to be here, but... She put such thoughts aside, for now. They found a body in the center of the room, an old journal clutched in decaying hands... maybe the musty smell in here wasn't all books. Vael picked up the journal, peeking through it, maybe this could tell them something about what they were looking for.

"I don't see it here anywhere... was Tarquin wrong?" Ifan peered over a shelf toward Vael. 

"I'm not sure. I'm checking some of their records. Maybe it will help." She looked up toward him. "Keep looking."

As he went back to searching, Vael leafed through the journal. It read like a log of the apocalypse, asking for forgiveness, telling of what the island used to be, what it was about. They found a name, Daeva... this seemed to be the name of the doctor that had been mentioned before. It mentioned another name, Eleanessa... "I don't know if I found anything about Anathema, but there's a record here, names, those who started the island's downfall. Eleanessa, and Daeva."

Vael frowned slightly, then looked up to Ifan. "It says that she died and became an Ancestor Tree... What do you want to bet that's what we'll find in the center of the island?"

He glanced back toward her with a frown. "To think that even one of those could be corrupted..." He leaned back against the wall behind him, and when he pressed his weight upon it, it shifted back with a quiet click. He sprung forward, away from it, and the wall slowly began to roll to the side. "Well well..."

She looked up to him with a smile, watching the wall slide away. "Well then... I think you just might have found it."

It turned out, he had. As Vael stepped through with him into the much-older part of the archives, they could see, ahead of them, a glimmering artifact resting upon what looked very much like an altar. As Vael reached out toward it, it spoke to her. Just like the pieces from so long ago, and in a not-quite-identical voice. Like the voice of a twin. _'Connected as one, the past and the present slain. Absolution and redemption await the one whose sins are many.'_ Vael carefully wrapped up the shattered pieces of the blade and placed them into her pack. "Finally, we have it..."

She looked back to Ifan. "Is there anything else we want to do on this island?"

He pursed his lips, then looked back to the door. "If there is an Ancestor Tree, it could tell us more about what happened." He looked back to Vael. "And something seemed to be happening in the center. It might be a good idea to put a stop to it."

She nodded, then looked to the side. An odd, shimmering chest sat off in one corner, looking like someone had almost tried to shove it off of the broken walkway it sat near. "Wait, is that..."

Vael stepped closer, peering at it. "This chest is made of Tenebrium." She looked at Ifan. "It blocks Source, drains it away..." She touched a claw against it and winced at the feeling of it against her scales. "Agh! It hurts a lot more than the last time I touched one..."

"You have a lot more Source than last time," he muttered with a chuckle.

"Yes, no kidding. I wonder what it holds?" She tried to pry it open, wincing against the draining effect, then shook her head. "It's locked. Do you think that you could..." She looked over toward him.

"Hmm, I could try." Ifan stepped over and kneeled before the chest, pulling his lockpicks free of his pack. He worked at it for some time, wincing or hissing whenever his fingers touched the chest itself, then grinned as, with the help of his dagger, the lock clicked open and the lid was pulled up.

Vael leaned in, her smile returning. "Well, would you look at that." Aside from a small pile of gold, within the chest rested a third teleporter pyramid, like the other two they'd found on Dallis' ship. "I imagine we could leave one on the Vengeance now, or maybe somewhere in town. It would allow us to return quickly when we need to."

Ifan nodded, shouldering his pack once again. "Maybe just on the ship, I can't imagine we'll be here too much longer."

"Right. Center of the island, then... well, I suppose it's off to Siva one more time."


	41. Lack of Purpose

The pair climbed up and out of the archive, Vael leaned down to help Ifan up, and then they headed for the center of the island. Knowing that whatever they found there was unlikely to be friendly, they went with weapons at the ready. As they headed closer, they could finally see who and what was going on at the center... There were Black Ring, communing... or attempting to, with the large, overgrown tree at the center. That could only be the Ancestor Tree they were looking for.

The man in charge of whatever the Black Ring were doing at the tree held out a hand toward them, surprisingly, they didn't try to attack them on sight. "Stand back! Not a foot on these stairs. Whatever words you carry with you, they are warty with futility. I know you for what you are: a mere mouthpiece of deception. It is of no use. The Advocate knows the tree belongs to the Ring."

Vael smirked. "My friend, you have it all wrong... The Advocate's dead. We killed him."

"Oh, I can measure the vile depths of your prevarications by the very pulse of this bleeding forest. You lie... you lie... you lie... Steady as the heart, _you lie!"_ He pointed toward them.

Vael sighed, looking to Ifan. "He's out of his mind. Kill him."

Ifan leveled his crossbow. "Gladly."

As their leader fell, so too did the others before the pair. They were ritualists, not combatants, and they stood no better chance against the duo than the Advocate and the others had on the Southern part of the island. As the final Black Ring fell, Vael looked to the tree- though overgrown, corrupted, pained, she could see below all of that the tree's spirit still glimmered quietly in the pall that seemed to hang over the island. Vael stepped closer, reaching out for it, trying to see if she could make any sort of contact with it at all.

The tree's spirit embraced its putrid host. An elven ancestor lost to the same demonic disease that infested all of Bloodmoon Island. The tree spoke to them in a strange, alien language that Vael didn't understand... and there were few that she didn't. 

She tried something else- if the tree couldn't speak to them... maybe they could speak to it. "Are you Eleanessa? We know you, we know who you are. We see you."

A moment passed, then Vael felt clarity radiate from the tree. "You speak my name; you know my torture. Please - don't judge me for the sickness my roots have spread... I can be free. My soul, cleansed."

Vael looked to Ifan, he nodded his head. "If we can."

She turned back to the tree. "Is there some way that we can help?"

"You awakened me from my nightmare with a single utterance: my name. How amazing - that a name can wield so much power. Remember this lesson when you leave Bloodmoon Island. The demon blackens another land now. It possesses the very doctor that liberated it."

Vael frowned. If this could... spread; if somewhere else could end up looking like Bloodmoon Island... Well, they had to stop that, didn't they? "Who?"

"Speak its name, and you expose it. You weaken it. You'll know him when you find him. A doctor that accommodates a demon doesn't see patients - only victims. Destroy it and you free me to the Hall of Echoes. Destroy it, and my roots taint this isle no longer." The tree's branches seemed to close slightly around them as it shifted. "Now come closer. I'll say the demon's name only once."

Vael hesitated for but a moment, then leaned in and closed her eyes.

The spirit's voice was a harsh, strained whisper. _"Adramahlihk."_

Vael nodded, but with the strain of saying the name, the tree went silent. It was still there, still alive, but Vael supposed after so long corrupted... Perhaps it had simply strained itself too much to continue. She nodded slowly, then looked to Ifan. "Did you hear it?"

"I did." He looked around the corrupted island. "I don't think there's anything left for us here."

"No, I agree. We should return to Jahan."

With that, the pair set off from Bloodmoon Island, back to where the Hunter waited for them. As they traveled off the island, a weight seemed to lift from their shoulders, the sky brightened back to afternoon sun. They crossed the bridge, walked the path and climbed the fallen tree, returning to where Jahan waited for them.

As they wandered back toward him, he lifted a hand in greeting. "How fares the hunt, my friend?"

Vael stepped closer to him, nodding her head, just once. "We killed him."

Jahan pulled her in for a short, if warm, embrace, smiling brightly. "You've done me proud, Godwoken. Prouder than you could ever realize. I know how twisted the paths can get, how much more alluring the sunny glade than the rock-strewn hollows. But you know it's the darkest roads that lead to light. It will be my honor to teach you."

Vael looked to Ifan with a smile. Finally, they'd found another teacher. A hunter of demons surely had something to share with them, and hopefully, it didn't involve eating the heart of a demon or something like that...

"The nature of my lesson, though, might be somewhat different from what you expect. I can deepen your bond with the Source, but you must realize that this bond comes at a cost. All life, after all, sustains itself by consumption. Like the grass feeds the herd and the herd feeds the hunter, so you must feed, for instance, on these..." He waved his hand toward the cage. Somehow, while they were gone, he'd managed to capture another demon.

Vael looked from them to him. "Isn't that dangerous? They're... demons."

"The very same, for the sum of Source that flows through their festering flesh is more than enough to expand the sum that is yours." He looked from the cage to her. "Through demise, a chance of divinity. Are you ready?"

Vael considered for a few moments, looked to Ifan. He seemed somewhat uncomfortable with the idea but nodded. And Zorl-Stissa had been correct... they were running out of teachers. "Yes. We're ready."

"Then let us begin." Jahan began to speak a spell, waving his incantation through the hair with hand and voice.

The incantations befogged Vael's mind, all of her felt as pumping blood. Pumping, pumping, _pumping. _Then all she heard, all that was, was screaming. From the cage to her; their blood in her ears, screaming. Then, at once... silence.

As Vael could hear the world around her again, opened her eyes, she heard Jahan speak.

"That is all. Their suns have set to serve a greater dawn. The world awaits your true awakening." He brushed himself off, standing before them as if nothing had ever happened.

Vael could feel it inside of herself, the expanse that had grown, that ached to be filled, and something else... She didn't know what, yet, but she could likely find out soon. "Thank you, Jahan."

"My pleasure. And now that the lesson has ended, there is one more matter I would like to discuss; offer you a chance to deepen our alliance. You see, the demon that you killed, the Advocate, he had a master. You might say the Advocate compared to his master like the pussycat compares to the tiger. It is the tiger that I am _truly _hunting." He looked toward the island. "Now don't you worry, I have no intention of sending you after this arch-demon. There are few enough Godwoken as it stands for me to force them into any _real _danger. The one thing I would like for you to do for me though is to return through the mist to the isle of blood and uncover there _his name_."

Vael smirked slightly. She imagined she knew exactly what name he wanted to know. "Actually, we found it while we were there. We thought we might need it, but... I'm sure you need it as well. The demon hides under the guise of Doctor Daeva, his real name is Adramahlihk."

Jahan stared at them, flabbergasted, but soon an air of serenity descended upon him: that of a chess player overlooking the board. "_Adramahlihk. _You have to admire his cunning. To think that in his guise of Daeva he and I shared the finest wines in the realm; stories of the women we have loved."

That reminded Vael of a similar story she'd been told... it seemed demons loved wine.

"Thank you, Godwoken. You have done me an unparalleled service, and you've quite humbled me at the same time." He clapped a hand on her shoulder. "You must go your path; I mine, so that I may confront the arch-demon in his lair, in the great city of Arx. Fare thee well."

Vael nodded once. "Hopefully we'll find you again. May you be successful."

Now that Jahan moved away, into his home, Vael could think of other things, the expanse inside of her... and she realized that Zorl-Stissa called for her. It seemed that now was when they would need to perform the ritual one last time. She looked to Ifan, watched him stare pensively at the ground. It seemed she was not the only one. "To Siva's?"

He nodded once. "Indeed. It's time."

They traveled the roads to Driftwood one last time. This place, the Reaper's Coast, would hold memories for Vael. Where her journey had truly begun, where her friend's journey had ended. And now, it seemed, where another journey might begin, for her and Ifan. She didn't know where they would be heading after this, but she hoped that it would be away from here, away from this place. Maybe to somewhere better.

It was getting quite late by the time they returned to Siva's, Vael wondered if the woman would still be alive. She'd surprised them last time, but she'd seemed to be barely hanging on by a thread. To Vael's amazement, as they entered the basement, she sat there, resolute, though she looked even worse than last time.

"Where is-?" she asked of them, her voice barely able to muster more than a whisper.

Vael shook her head, her face falling.

Siva's head dipped. "I see. Complete the ritual... we haven't much time."

Vael nodded, she went through the motions. She pierced her scales, dribbled the blood across the root within the bowl, then set it alight. She looked to Ifan, then he to her, and they leaned forward into the shimmering smoke.

Vael felt the world fall away, but this time it was like a gentle drift down and she felt her feet touch the ground. She opened her eyes, looking around, but something seemed... different. Sinister. Wrong. She didn't know what had happened, what would face her here, but she knew something was wrong. Vael hefted her blade and stepped forward into the depths of her own soul to see what had gone wrong here.

As she walked forward, she barely had time to react as _something _barreled toward her out of the darkness, she barely managed to hold her arm up in time to block whatever it was, and it still sent her sprawling, skittering across the ground. She heard the intonation of a spell, a second creature stepped from the shadows, casting a bolt or something toward her that just felt _wrong_, like it shouldn't exist at all, let alone within her own soul.

She forced herself to her feet, to face the creatures when she saw Zorl-Stissa appear behind them, weapons drawn. Her Goddess cast a spell in turn, raising her wands, immolating one of the creatures where it stood. Vael sliced the other with her blade, driving it back. Between the two of them, the creatures fell rapidly, but as they collapsed and died the familiar fluids of the Voidwoken dripped upon the hexagonal stones that made up the ground around them... "Voidwoken? Here?" She shook her head as she looked to Zorl-Stissa. The Goddess turned and walked back to their usual meeting place, higher up along the path.

As Vael approached, she placed her sword back into her sheath, her hands balled into fists at her sides. She could scarcely believe what she'd seen since she last met the woman, what she'd learned, what the Gods _had done_.

Zorl-Stissa held her arms out toward her. "My champion! You've come not a moment too soon. It's _here. _Even _here._" Her voice sounded weaker than ever, she sounded truly afraid...

Vael thought she had every right to be. She set her jaw, her fist clenched. She set her foot, cocked her arm back. She could see the confusion on Zorl-Stissa's face as she did, but Vael swung all the same.

She'd expected nothing to happen, for her fist to pass harmlessly through, to have no effect whatsoever, and she remained disappointed. It still felt good, to try, to put everything she had into a blow that couldn't land. Zorl-Stissa's face distorted around her fist like she'd tried to punch water, and Vael stared openly at her. At the moment she could feel little but contempt for the Goddess standing before her, despite her weakened state, despite having to rescue her from Voidwoken in _her own soul_, she could feel no sympathy.

"What? Why?" Her Goddess still remained confused, too shocked to be angry, but Vael could see that anger coming on quickly.

"For what you've done to us. All of us." Vael stood tall. "For the Prince."

Zorl-Stissa erupted at her, flinging curses that Vael could _feel _as well as hear. The light around them faded to nothing, she could hear thunder crash, lightning strike nearby. She just closed her eyes, weathered the - literal - storm of insults, the tirade of abuse until Zorl-Stissa had nothing left to give. For a dying Goddess, that was honestly quite impressive.

"Are you done? Are you quite finished?" Vael opened one eye to stare at the woman before her, and the two of them locked gazes. Neither was happy with the other, but it was like Vael thought all that time ago. Zorl-Stissa needed her more than she needed her Goddess. Of course, she wasn't sure what would have happened had she died, had the Voidwoken just... moved into her soul, and she didn't know how they'd gotten here, how to keep them out... but it seemed her Goddess didn't know either.

Zorl-Stissa continued to stare at her, her face set, teeth partly bared. She looked like she wanted to launch into another tirade again, but finished with a simple. "How _dare _you?"

"How dare I?" Vael placed her hand on her chest. "How dare _I?_" She gestured around her soul. "How dare you!? To do what you've done, create us _to die_ to feed your own strength, and for what? You have to create mortal champions like me, like Lucian, to fight your own battles. You let the Voidwoken into _my soul_, don't even try to fight them until I show up, force the Prince to choose between his kingdom and his love and me, _let him die, _and then when I show up I don't even get a thank you." Vael held her arms open to Zorl-Stissa and mocked the Goddess' tone. "_My champion._" She shook her head. "No, not a champion. Puppet. Source vat. Plaything, maybe. Not champion. If you wanted a champion, truly wanted a champion... You would have the barest modicum of respect and at least tell me what was actually going on."

"You don't want us to save ourselves. You want us to save _you_. You who created us to die, who created this mess in the first place by becoming Gods." Vael stood before Zorl-Stissa, shocked at her own anger, but more shocked that the woman, this _Goddess_ seemed so helpless that she would need someone like her in the first place. What use were Gods who could not defend themselves? Who treated their people like this? She sank to her knees, put her head in her hands. 

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore." Vael truly didn't. With no Prince to back for Divinity, and no desire to take it for her own... what was she truly doing? Why was she here? To serve a Goddess she viewed only with contempt? What purpose did they serve, did any of them serve? To hold back the Void? How? It was coming through anyway, even into her own soul. She didn't know what to do.

She fell into despair.


	42. Off The Rails

Vael didn't know how long she was there, on her knees, her head in her hands. She couldn't even bring herself to cry, she'd shed her tears for the Prince, she'd used them up. She didn't have any left for herself. She just felt... empty. She was a vessel, nothing more. Meant to carry divinity, carry Source, to others, for others. She'd been created to die, created as little more than an overly complicated crop to be harvested when her time came and she finally fell to the ground, to die. It didn't exactly inspire hope. She knew what Source was, that if you consumed it, you consumed their soul. This place, the Hall of Echoes, a feeding ground. A feeding ground for Gods, to sustain their own strength.

That was all that was left, wasn't it, when the Gods had eaten their fill? Echoes, nothing else. Vael had seen no other spirits here. When Malady brought them here, on the Lady Vengeance, there had been nothing else. Just empty void, filled with crystal and rock spires. The dark of the mists. Nothing else, nothing to look forward to. There was no life after death, no afterlife. Just hunger.

Vael felt a hand on her shoulder, only the barest hint of warmth left in it. She looked up, found Zorl-Stissa staring back down at her. Vael couldn't read her expression, it was impassive, resigned. She wondered if the Goddess was just going to consume her now, try again with another, with what little time they had left. She wondered if she'd failed.

But then again, if this had been a test... was it a test she'd truly wanted to pass?

"No. It wasn't." 

Vael looked up to the Goddess, confused. "What?"

"You forget that we share a soul, Vaeltorya. I see what you see. Think what you think." She reached out, touching her hand to Vael's chest, then to her own. "We are I." She echoed the words that Vael had been told the first time they'd met, after the first ritual.

Vaeltorya stared openly at the Goddess before her, then realized that she couldn't remember Zorl-Stissa ever using her name before now. "What of it, then?"

Zorl-Stissa stared at her for quite some time before she answered, the two of them looking each other in the eye. Vael didn't know why she couldn't hear or feel, or sense what Zorl-Stissa thought, but perhaps the Goddess had become so used to keeping secrets that she could it now, even when they were supposedly the same. "Perhaps we did, truly, do wrong. By you, and all the others."

Vael stepped back. No shifting of the blame? No anger? No trying to hide behind words? "What is this? A trick?"

"No." Zorl-Stissa removed her hand from Vael's shoulder. "I am dying, Vaeltorya. The other gods, those without Godwoken, won't last much longer. They may even simply fade away in the end. The Seven will become two, and then none. Our time is ending."

Vael just... stared. She hadn't heard Zorl-Stissa speak so... candidly before. Everything had been couched in prophecy and 'you must' and 'you will' and instructions and scolding. This was just... one woman speaking to another.

"When you reach the Well of Ascension, when you take from it, that will likely be the end for us. The other Gods may attempt one last assault, to take the Source from you for themselves, from Rhalic's Godwoken should you attempt to support him, in one last-ditch effort to stay alive." Zorl-Stissa reached up, taking Vael's chin in her own. "You must not let them."

Vael looked down at the hand, feeling its faint warmth against her scales. "Why are you telling me this, why now?" 

"Because you have shown me that, perhaps, there really is another way. Or, if there isn't... maybe there should be." Zorl-Stissa removed her hand, folding her hands before herself, in front of her stomach. "Our way has not worked. We've hidden from you what you really are. Deceived. Lied. Tricked. And the greatest Champion that I have found, who I selected because never in her life has she ever given up, not done what needed to be done, when she found out..." Zorl-Stissa stood, in the silence, for several long minutes before she spoke again. "She gave up. The weight of what we'd done, who we were... It was too much."

Zorl-Stissa raised her eyes to Vael. "Perhaps that, in itself, was what I needed to see." She waved a hand in front of herself. "So no more. No more bluster. No more instructions. Only truth."

Vael stared, dumbfounded. "What is the truth, then?"

Zorl-Stissa breathed a quiet sigh. "The truth is... that I had foreseen our confrontation. There would come a time where I would face you. The Godwoken I had chosen against the Goddess that had chosen her... and I would take you. Take you for myself, claim your body, subsume your soul, and then march on to face the threat of the Void in your guise." She hung her head. "You were right. A puppet." She looked up to Vael, then, held her head high. "But I did not foresee a victory. I would fail. I would fall. At your hands. You truly are my champion, stronger than I, now that we are so weakened, shadows of our former selves. In the end, jealousy and fear and rage would consume me until that was all that was left, and I would be struck down. Like an animal."

Vael stared, her mouth hung open, her head tilted to the side.

"The Seven would become Two," She held up her hand, seven fingers, then two, then she closed her hand into a fist, "then None. And we would be gone. One last struggle, one last mistake. And then nothingness." She gestured with her hands around them. "This, the Hall of Echoes, is where you go when you die. Yes, to be consumed by the Gods in their endless lust for power, for more strength. For us, for Gods, for Eternals..." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. There may well be nothing. Maybe we join the others, in the Void. Maybe we cease to exist. And I think it is that fear, along with our own pride, that would have pushed us to that inglorious end. Defeated by those we'd raised up, in one last betrayal." She looked to Vael and held her hands out in front of herself, palms up. It seemed she didn't have any more to say.

"I can't... I can't believe you." Vael felt like she was going to throw up, to fall ill. To know that this whole time, the struggles, the heartache, the danger, the effort... All for someone who would, in the end, prove to be no better than those she put down on a daily basis. Another foe to be defeated. She couldn't believe the Gods could be so petty.

"I know." Zorl-Stissa held her hands out in front of herself. "It took seeing you, my greatest Godwoken, fall to despair, give up, for me to finally see what we had become. What we had truly become." The barest hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "It seems the student had something to teach their master after all. And what a lesson it is. Humility." She shook her head. "Of course, you would have taught us eventually... at the tip of your sword, before the end." She breathed in a soft breath and looked to Vael. "Perhaps it does not need to come to that."

Vael frowned, stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I know you will never trust me again. Perhaps that is one of your strengths, that you never truly 'believed' in me like the others. That you could see me for more than a God. See the faults. Perhaps we would not be standing here, like this, if not for that. But," she raised one, clawed finger into the air. "Maybe I can help you." She reached out, softly touching her claw to Vael's chest.

Vael could feel something, something different. A pull in a direction. She knew where she needed to go next, where her next goal would be, could see it in her mind's eye. An island, split in two... covered in shrines. "What..." Vael put her hand to her head as she tried to process the information that had been given her. "What is this place?"

"It is called the Nameless Isle. Creative, I know, but we did not name it. You must travel there. You must pray at all the shrines to unlock the door. I do not know the others, but I can tell you the part of the key that is mine." She raised her hands, splaying them over her head to form a symbol of the sun. "When the time comes- at the end... I will try to help you. I will not fight you. And until then, if you accept it..." She reached out, extending a clawed hand toward Vael. 

Vael looked suspiciously toward her, then down to the offered hand. "Accept what?"

"I lend you some small part of my remaining strength. You will need it, before the end." 

When Vael reached out toward her hand, she saw a small smirk hovering on the Goddess' lips, and she pulled back. "What? What's so funny?"

Zorl-Stissa shook her head. "I always taught you, the others... survival of the fittest. It seems it has come to pass that I am no longer the fittest. Maybe I never was."

She reached her hand out toward Vael again. When Vael took it, she felt a power surge through her, so strong and swift that it was almost painful, she felt like a candle being burned too quickly, like she was alight from both ends. She screamed, the very ground around her shaking with the strength and volume of it... until it was over. She slumped to the ground, her head against the stones, feeling the heat of it burning through her core. She pushed herself to unsteady feet, she could _feel_ it. Something... different.

As the world around her began to fade away, she heard Zorl-Stissa's voice again. "The others will try to trick you, but know that I stand beside you!" 

Her Goddess' voice faded until she was drifting in the dark. Light drifted around her and Vael opened her eyes, her vision still blurry as her body continued to adjust to what had happened to it. To what she'd been given.

As sound returned to the world around her, she heard a scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't usually like adding chapter notes. I prefer to let the story speak for itself for the most part and I don't enjoy breaking up the flow.
> 
> However, for this... I'll make an exception. I imagine this is the place where people will be heavily split. They're either going to go "Ah, this isn't the game's story anymore!" and off they go and they'll lose interest in reading it. Others might, and the reaction I'm hoping people will have, go "Oh, neat!" and then keep reading to see where things are going to go.
> 
> One of the story points that I most disliked was how your god was fawning over you in one instant and asking you to save the world... and then five minutes later they're trying to kill you. It was almost like the two sections of the story were written by two completely different people, and it has never sat well with me over the five or six playthroughs I've done of DOS2. It's largely the reason I started writing this, to change that one point. I decided to spin it like the gods were always planning to betray you and try to take your body, to do things their own way, and they were essentially just deceiving you the entire time. But seeing the plan falling apart before her eyes, Zorl-Stissa decided to do the right thing and come clean. She doesn't have time to try again. She's desperate. So even if it means she dies, she'll go down swinging and trying to keep the world alive.
> 
> Maybe some people will say her character was ruined. But... considering how similar all the gods are in this game, I'd say there wasn't much of a character to ruin in the first place. Hopefully, people will continue reading after this point to see where things go. There are more surprises to come. And if not...
> 
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	43. Departure

As Vael's eyes opened and her sight adjusted- even in the Meistr's dark basement everything seemed so bright, so vibrant- she could instantly tell that something was amiss, something very wrong. The Meistr herself stood, finally, from her seat, on shaky legs that looked like they were going to give out at any moment. "Run, Godwoken! Run!" She turned, attempted to cast a spell... and nothing came.

The Voidwoken that had crawled from the shadows of her basement stepped into the light, they raised their arms and uttered guttural growls that shaped into a spell. Two bolts that looked _wrong _slammed into the Meistr, killing her where she stood. Vael didn't quite understand it, her new senses working overdrive, but she could _see _the very moment the woman died and her spirit separated from her body. Vael roared, deep and strong, and she sprinted forward toward the Voidwoken. Her blade slammed into one so hard that it crashed against the far wall, shattering bricks and sending splinters flying, Ifan's crossbow bolt smashed into the other, then Vael's blade sliced it nearly in two.

These Voidwoken, the same type that she'd seen in her own soul that had tried to attack her and Zorl-Stissa, were larger, stronger... and when they died, they released cursed smoke that stank of the Void itself, forming suffocating and blinding clouds that refused to dissipate in the stagnant air of the Meistr's basement. Vael breathed a quiet sigh as the two creatures died, then turned to look at Ifan. She was taken aback at what she saw, stunned for a moment. She could... she wasn't sure if the right word was 'see', but she could tell that, in his shadow, lurked something larger, something... _more. _She felt like she could see the impression of Rhalic on his soul.

She stepped forward him, feeling... bigger, feeling _good_, and she sheathed her blade across her back. "Ifan... What did he tell you? I have... so much to share." Her head spun with it all.

He shook his head. "Nothing I didn't expect. He said that there could only be one of us at the end." He looked up to Vael, squinting slightly. "What happened to you? You look... different."

Vael's head was on a swivel, she'd never felt so alive. She thought she could see the individual cracks in the wall, hear the voices of the townsfolk far above, she could smell... She closed her eyes, breathing in. The air had never smelled so sweet, even down here, she almost took off up the stairs just so she could smell the air above, learn about all the new scents she'd been missing before! She looked down toward him, placed her hand on his shoulder. She was distracted for a moment at the feel of the leather of his armor beneath her fingertips, she never could have imagined that scales could feel such minute detail... She was brought back to herself as she realized he was staring at her. "Not here. Too many distractions. On the ship. We have to return to the ship." She felt like she was speaking too fast for him, should she slow down? She had so much _energy _now, so much strength...

Then she remembered the Meistr and what had happened to her. She felt her heart break. Her head turned as she slowly looked over to where Siva's spirit stood, staring down at her body. Vael stepped closer to her, reached out to her, she could hear the Meistr's voice from here.

"Voidwoken. Damnable, bloody Voidwoken..." She breathed out a soft sigh. "Well, that's that. I always knew I'd die for Rivellon. I just didn't expect it was going to be in a small basement... in Driftwood of all places." She turned her eyes to Vael and her head tilted to the side... and then, she smiled. "At least now you know where to go."

Vael looked confused for a moment. "How do you know I know?"

"I can see it on you. You've finally become what I was trying to help you become. And..." She placed a spectral hand to her chin- it almost made Vael laugh, in death, with her body's weakness fading, Vael had never seen the Meistr so alive. "Something more. But I'm sure you don't have time to explain, go! Remember: The Void. Nothing else matters."

Vael nodded, then looked to Ifan with a smile. "She's right. We need to go." As Ifan moved toward the stairs, Vael leaned over toward Siva. "I'd stay here, for now, I wouldn't go moving on just yet. Bad idea." She raised her brows to the woman and felt her somewhat confused ghostly stare follow her up the stairs.

"Uh, Godwoken!" Vael turned to look back at Siva. "Do be careful of Malady... My death may change things for her."

Vael raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"She is immensely powerful, and she _is _on our side, but she will not be pleased about... well, my parting. She may ask you to honor an old bargain that I had struck with her. Do not accept. Her business is for me and me alone." She looked to her body and grimaced. "Gods, I was a mess..." She looked back up to Vael. "You need to go, Godwoken. But I have one last request. My last wish as it were..."

Vael nodded seriously. "Of course, Meistr Siva. Anything."

"I want... a statue. Something modest. A simple piece of marble and gold, on the steps of the Cathedral, glaring out over Arx." Her shoulders slumped, a tired, melancholic grin on her muzzle. "I would have liked to see that city again. Just once more..."

Vael grinned back at her. "Consider it done."

Meistr Siva chuckled. "Give them hell, Godwoken."

Vael closed her eyes and smiled as she turned away. Against all odds... she thought death might actually be an improvement for Siva. Her last few days had been so horrid. She followed Ifan, who had already vanished on up the stairs.

There was a somewhat awkward silence as they ran back to the beach, back to where they'd left their sloop to return to the Lady Vengeance. Ifan tried to ask again what had happened, why things were different, but Vael just repeated 'on the ship' to him. She didn't want to tell him here, it would take too long, she wanted to be moving again, getting to the island was so _important _that it killed her that they weren't on the way already. She almost stopped short, wondering if that was just Zorl-Stissa talking, but there was a quiet 'no' from within herself that told her otherwise.

It was strange, she'd _known _that Zorl-Stissa was with her before, had ventured into the depths of her own soul to meet and speak with her, had struggled with her over the control of her own body, had channeled her to sing at the Prince's funeral... and yet, until now, she'd never _felt_ the Goddess inside of her. And now... the moment she tried to think about her, to wonder if she was there, there she was. Warm and tired and... content. She didn't have to reach, didn't have to search. She was just... there. It was comforting somehow.

As they reached the sloop and headed back toward the ship, Vael insisted that she be allowed to row. She had so much _energy _now that she wanted to jump and hop and skip and sing, she practically felt as if she could leap to the moon if she tried. And, supposedly, this was only a fraction, the tiniest, depleted fraction of what she'd be able to get from the Wellspring, should everything come to pass... the thought of it almost frightened her, but ... it also intrigued her. Wondering what it'd be like to be so... so _full_ all the time.

Vael rowed their little boat so quickly that they actually threw up a small bow wave and Ifan just hung on for dear life to the back of the boat. "You know, Vael, you're frightening me a little."

She giggled at him and looked out across the water. It glistened in new ways and colors... The world was so _bright _in ways she'd just never seen before. "I'll explain soon, I promise!"

They reached the ship and Vael hauled their sloop up all by herself. She tied the ropes to keep it secure, hopped out onto the deck, then turned to Ifan. "Go and tell Malady we're ready to leave, please. Tell her we need to go..." She paused and closed her eyes, then lifted an arm like a compass point, pointing off to the South and West. "That direction. I'll come to find you soon, very soon."

Giving her a very confused look, he nodded, then headed off toward the wheel where Malady waited. Tarquin stood near where they'd gotten off of the boat, watching all of this with a very interested expression. Vael headed toward him, then gingerly pulled the wrapped fragments of the blade from her pack and placed them into his hands.

The object quivered as Tarquin neared it and it hummed to him. _'Connected as one, the past and present slain. Absolution and redemption await the one whose sins are many.' _

He stared openly at the fragments. "Oh, very good. Very, very, _very _good." He looked up to Vael. "This, my friend, is the key. Give me some time, and every diety in existence will tremble at the sight of you." 

Vael grinned. "I can't wait."

His hands closed around the fragments. "Lovely. Now if you'll excuse me... _I must work._" He turned away and headed lower into the ship, muttering excitedly, almost religiously, about Anathema.

Vael felt the ship lurch under her feet as it began to move and knew that Ifan had gotten Malady to start off- she quickly ran toward the stern, wanting to talk to the woman herself.

"Godwoken! Your friend here tells me you know where the island is, but not how. He also says there's bad news, but that you would bear it." She placed a hand on her hip, giving the wheel a tap to adjust it as the ship moved. "So out with it, what is it."

Vael gathered herself up, took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. She needed to calm down, she felt... antsy. There was not enough to do and so much time to do it in. "The Meistr... she died, Malady. I'm sorry. There were Voidwoken, and..."

Her eyes flashed with something - anger, perhaps, or fear. "I... But... Nevermind." Malady seemed to mimic her motions, taking a deep breath. "We'd better focus on the task at hand."

"Right. The island. I learned where it is." Vael paused. "Know where it is. It's hard to explain." She closed her eyes and pointed again- when she opened them she was glad to find that they were on the right course.

"Well, aren't you industrious." Some of Malady's cheer seemed to be returning after the news. "Seems all the riff-raff's back aboard as well, and you..." She squinted at Vael. "Something about you is different."

Vael couldn't help the grin on her face. "Oh, yes, it is."

Malady winked at her. "Well, I suppose we better put the speed on... Your Holiness."

Vael gestured for Ifan to follow her, then skipped off toward the bow of the ship.

"What does she mean?" He looked from Malady, then back to Vael. "What's going on?"

She brought him to the front of the ship, then turned around and took a deep breath. She wanted to talk so quickly that she knew that if she didn't force herself to slow down, he wouldn't understand anything. "So you know the Gods told us to go to the island and everything, right?" She heard a quiet little voice inside of herself. _'Be careful what you share.' _And a mental image of the shadow of Rhalic in Ifan's shadow returned.

He nodded. "Yes? But you seem..." He let out a frustrated growl. "Different. I don't know how to say it."

"I am. Sort of." She frowned as she thought about it. "I'm still me, just... more, me. I think." She closed her eyes and stomped her foot- there was a groan from the ship and a crack of wood, and Vael looked back to the figurehead. "Sorry! Shit." She looked down, then carefully removed her foot from the little divot she'd created with the stomp. "Listen-" She looked to Ifan, then slowly sat down on the deck so there wouldn't be any more accidents. "I'm... having trouble explaining it myself. I..." She frowned, chewing on her scaled lip as she tried to think of how best to explain it. "We got into an argument."

Ifan raised his brow at that and crossed his arms, looking down at her curiously. "Go on."

"I... we fought, sort of. Words, not... you know. And... I think I absorbed some of her." It wasn't _not _the truth... was it? She felt terrible not being honest with him, but if Rhalic knew...

His eyebrows shot up. "You _what_."

Vael nodded quickly. "I did! And now I'm... more. Me. There's more of me. I feel stronger and faster and I see _everything _and..." She breathed in and let out a soft little groan at the smell of it. The salt of the sea, the breeze coming in off the water, the wood of the ship around her, it was practically intoxicating in just how well she could smell it all now. She breathed out a great, big sigh, and opened her eyes to look at him with a smile. "I'm still _me_. There's just... more."

He frowned at her, squinting his eyes, but eventually, he relented and nodded his head. "Alright. That's still... strange, but alright. I'm going to go get something to eat."

She nodded several times. "I'll be there soon, promise." As he walked away, Vael smiled and lay back across the deck, basking in the afternoon sun. For now, at least... she was happy. There were concerns she'd have to address, they were heading for a brand new place she'd never been, likely to face dangers that outstripped anything they'd faced before, but... Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance of pulling this off.

As she lay there, with her eyes closed, she reached down into herself, feeling the warmth. There came a questioning feeling up from within like Zorl-Stissa wanted to know why she was doing it. "I just wanted to feel it. It's comfortable," she mumbled into the air. It was... different. It was like the feeling she got from Source, from drinking it, taking it, that warm, full feeling deep inside, but... distinctly different. There was a life to it, a warm contentment. She knew that there was _literally _a 'life' to it, but it was still... distinct.

Eventually, when she'd had her fill of the sun and the scent of the ocean and the deck under her back, she pushed herself up, armor clanking and creaking. She wished she had a proper set that hadn't seen so many beatings, then a thought came up from within herself... she could. Vael sent the question down, wondering how that could be possible, and she received a reply. _'Let me show you.' _Vael nodded, closing her eyes, and she felt movements that weren't her own, stretching her arms out to her sides. A power welled up within her, her strength being given purpose, she felt it flow out to her arms and legs and chest, her armor subtly shifting.

It tightened, just slightly, and Vael could feel the metal shift and creak. The places where it had been dented and smashed and cut and pierced slowly reformed themselves, she didn't need to see it, she could _feel _it as her power worked through the metal. Slowly the feeling subsided and the strength withdrew within her. Vael looked down and she beamed at what she saw, shining, perfect metal like the day it had come out of the smithy. She ran her hands over it, where Voidwoken had stabbed her, dog's teeth and claws had dented, all fixed. "My, my... That's quite useful." She felt a trickle of what she could only imagine was laughter from within. _'Imagine what you will do with more.' _

Vael shook her head with a grin as she began to walk down toward the stern. She was feeling hungry and she couldn't wait to see what food tasted like now.

She ventured her way down toward the kitchens- they were essentially just living off the stocks the ship already had, it had been provisioned for Dallis and Alexandar, their full crew, many Magisters, guards, staff, dog handlers and who knew who else. With their tiny crew, Han and his lizard friend, Malady, Vael, Ifan and before, the Prince, they could likely eat for months, spoilage notwithstanding before they needed to re-provision the ship. Ifan was already there, cooking up a meal for himself and Vael as she walked in. 

She grinned at him, moving to help. "So, what are we making?"

"We are making an old Wolf favorite." He lifted his head. "Well, maybe just an old... me favorite, now, since I imagine the Wolves won't exactly want to consider me among their number any longer." He grinned. "There was a bit of fish still in storage, heavily salted of course. You drop it in water, you add some vegetables, a few seasonings..." Vael and Ifan worked together as they cooked, Vael following his lead. She could hardly believe how good it all smelled, but she wasn't sure if that could be attributed to her enhanced senses, his cooking, or both.

Soon enough they sat down together, next to the large windows in the back of the ship. Vael reached over and cracked one open, allowing in the sea breeze and the scent of the air as they ate. It was quite good, and she was absolutely correct in thinking that things would taste better now. There were whole new profiles of taste and scent that she'd never noticed were there before, always hidden just out of view because she just hadn't been capable of sensing them. She ate quickly, even going back for another bowl when she was done, and by the time that Ifan finished she was already leaning back with her head against the wood, her hands behind her neck.

"So it was good, eh?" He looked up toward her as he pushed his own bowl to the side. 

"Oh, _so _good. Gosh, I never knew what I was missing before." She smiled brightly, eyes closed as she just relaxed, then breathed out a quiet sigh. "It's... different without him here, isn't it?"

"It is." Ifan crossed his hands over themselves on the table as he sat and watched her. "But I don't think he'd want us to mope."

Vael smirked slightly. "I think he'd want us to mope _a little_."

Ifan snorted. "Maybe, maybe he would."

Vael shook her head slowly, then opened her eyes to look out the window next to her head. "The Nameless Isle... the place where Godwoken go to become Divine..." She looked back toward Ifan. "It's all so... surreal, isn't it? All of this?"

"A bit." He shrugged a shoulder. "I've been trying not to think about it too hard."

She smirked. "You're not the only one. So, what _do _you think about it? The prospect of it. Becoming _Divine_?"

He tapped his fingers on the table as he considered it. "I saw the mass death caused by the Divine Order's war first-hand. If divinity can do the _opposite _of that, I'm interested."

Vael heard the soft voice inside of herself. _'And so much more. Lucian squandered it.'_

Ifan looked up to her. "And if it can't, what good is it?"

Vael nodded. "That is, essentially... what we fought about. Her and I." Vael pursed her lips. It was true, wasn't it? She'd never been comfortable with the taking and the stealing and the stepping on others that seemed to be 'required' by it all. "It should be more than tyranny. It should be a shield over all the world."

"You're right." He nodded once, looking out the window with her toward the sea. "You're very right."


	44. Nameless Isle

It would take them several days, at least, to reach the Nameless Isle. Vael spent most of them outside on the deck, both enjoying the weather, good or bad, and also... She hadn't thought of a better word for it yet than 'communing' with Zorl-Stissa. There wasn't much that the diminished Goddess could really 'teach', and she refused to answer certain questions because 'one should only know so much before the proper time', but she continually reassured Vael that she was on her side. And, for once... at least a little bit, Vael believed her. What questions she did answer she answered with candor, she seemed to actually consider what Vael had to say while they were talking instead of dismissing it out of hand, and she was teaching Vael to better control herself.

At times, her enhanced senses were overwhelming. The first couple of nights, before she asked for help, she found sleep almost impossible. Too many sounds, smells, thoughts racing through her mind for her to be able to calm down enough to actually sleep until she just passed out from exhaustion. And Zorl-Stissa was helping her to better control her body, as well. The first time she tried to practice fighting she nearly threw Ifan off the deck by accident- he hadn't really wanted to spar with her, after that. She'd almost put her foot through the deck more than once while practicing, and one of the doors in the interior of the ship had a hole in it because she'd tried to smash a fly- damn thing had gotten away from her, too. The Lady Vengeance wasn't particularly happy with her at the moment, as a result, even though she apologized profusely every time.

She was getting better though, and that was good because Malady had informed them this morning that they were very close to reaching the Isle, they'd probably be there by mid-morning. Vael was dressed and ready, standing on deck as the Isle slowly came into view and they dropped anchor just offshore. She'd already placed the third teleporter pyramid they'd picked up on the lower deck, that way they could return to the ship if necessary, whenever they liked.

As they dropped anchor and the ship slowly came to a still, rocking calmly on the seas, Malady strode toward herself and Ifan. "Here we are: The Nameless Isle." She looked out over the island with a smirk. "And here I thought 'Malady' was unimaginative... Still, it's what's on the inside that counts - isn't that right?" She looked to Vael and winked. Vael really wanted to know how this elf seemed to know and do all the things she did. "And this is the place you're meant to become a God. I can't help but wonder exactly what you intend to do with such a power." She looked at her nails, idly buffing them with her thumb, but Vael could see the aside glance down toward herself as she leaned on the railing.

"I'll do what needs to be done, as I always have. I'd say 'for the good of Rivellon' but I feel like that would sound cliche." 

Malady grinned, just a hint. "I have no doubt about that. But do remember: You can do what's good for _you, _too. All things in balance, you know. You'll want to hurry now. Divinity is waiting, after all."

Vael smirked, looking out over the beaches, the wrecked ships they could see scattered across the shore. Black Ring and Magister vessels alike... it seemed like they might well have stranded each other on this island, but Vael wondered how they'd gotten here, and more importantly... what they were doing. She looked over toward Malady. "Do you know what we should expect here?"

She glanced toward Vael and grinned. "I would have thought you would already know." She glanced toward Ifan, so quick that Vael almost didn't notice it. "Ah. Excellent question!" She continued as if nothing had happened. "Normally, this place ought to only be known to Godwoken. But judging by the ships burning in the bay there's been a... _breach_, let's call it. Regardless of who's on the island, all that matters is who ascends._ Make sure it's one of you." _

Vael nodded, then looked to their little sloop. "We should be going. Thanks, Malady." She pushed off from the railing, motioning for Ifan to follow along.

"Good luck!" She raised a hand and gave them a smug little grin. "All three of you."

Ifan looked to Vael and frowned. "What's she on about?"

She slowly shook her head. "There's no telling." _'I don't like her'_ grumbled the quiet voice within.

As they wandered over toward the boat that would take them to the beach, they found Tarquin leaning against the railing. He looked horrendously out of place, fancy dress, black cloth banded with gold, long black hair... seeing him in the sun like this just looked... _wrong _somehow. He'd looked much more at home back in the graveyard. "Quite a journey I've found myself on with you. Is this where it ends, I wonder...?"

Vael shook her head. "I sure hope not." She moved toward the boat, then glanced back toward him. "Have you ever heard of something called the Aeteran?"

Try as he might, Tarquin couldn't hide a small flash of surprise. "Where did you hear that, precisely? Never mind... the Aeteran is a children's fable, nothing more. Supposedly a wand with an infinite capacity for Source. Pure nonsense, I assure you."

"What if the Magisters were looking for it, then?" Vael raised a brow. She knew they'd already found it, but she wondered what he thought.

"Really? Well, perhaps that says more about the caliber of their intellect than anything else. Such a device would be a gross overconcentration of power - it could purge the entire world of all Source... luckily the laws of the universe render such a thing impossible." He seemed very sure of himself... but Vael thought she detected a hint of genuine fear in his gaze.

"I see. I guess we should be glad it's just a tale then, and not something the Magisters may or may not have in their hands, at this very moment." She looked over toward him as she climbed into the boat. "Because that would be a real travesty."

Ifan grinned as he climbed in alongside her, both of them were pretty amused to see the expression of pure shock on his face as they lowered their sloop into the sea.

Vael rowed them to shore, though this time she managed to keep the boat at a more sedate pace. Still fast, of course, but Ifan didn't look like he was going to be flung out of the boat at any moment. "So, any ideas on where we should go first?"

"I almost always go North first whenever it's an option." He climbed out onto the shore, the rocky sand and pebbles crunching under his boot. "Served me well in the past."

Vael gave him a little smile. "North it is, then. I suppose we could make a circle around the island, North then East then South? Back West if we need to?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." Ifan hefted his crossbow to his shoulder. "Lead the way."

It didn't take them long of traveling up the pathway away from the beach before they ran across signs of battle. The odd thing was that there weren't any bodies... only splattered piles of meat and bone that... Vael realized what they were, and she stepped back from one with a grunt. "These bodies have been purged!" They looked almost exactly like what happened when they'd used Source vampirism on a Shrieker. Just slightly more held together.

"Who could have done such a thing? The Magisters?" Ifan nudged one of the piles with his boot.

Vael wound her way through the bodies until she found where a banner had been planted, but blown over in the wind. As she picked it back up, it became obvious what it was. The banner showed a simple black circle on a plain background. "The Black Ring." It looked like it had been planted in one of the corpses before it'd fallen over.

"Would make sense if they were coming up against Shriekers. Seems like the Magisters' weapons have been turned against them."

"It almost serves them right... If I wasn't worried about those wands being turned against us, as well." Vael snorted through her nose, then continued up the beach. _'My temple is on the far southern end of the island. I would like to see it.'_ Vael nodded, adding that to her mental checklist.

As they climbed higher into the island and up off of the beach, the sounds of the sea faded slowly away, only to be replaced by the sound of bugs, birds, animals, all chirping and calling to one another. This portion of the island was covered in thick, lush jungle, something that most of the island seemed to share in common. As they wound their way north, they found themselves at what looked to be the entrance of Vrogir's temple... except that it was now a lake.

Two Black Ring, easily dispatched, guarded the entrance to the Temple. The reason for it becoming a lake became obvious as they approached, a portal of some kind dumped water continuously into the grounds. _'Vrogir is a brute... but his temple does not deserve such desecration.' _Vael wanted to respond, she didn't think Ifan wanted to hear her talking to herself- more or less, anyway. "We won't be able to get in there without finding a way to turn that off."

Ifan nodded. "I'd fancy a swim, but there's no telling what's lurking in that water." He looked back up to Vael. "Did she tell you what to do? About the door?"

She nodded once. "She did. We have to learn symbols from the altars. Did Rhalic tell you his?"

"No." Ifan looked back to the pool. "Cagey bastard."

Vael nodded. "I see." _'No trust.' _Vael smirked, muttering under her breath. 'I still don't trust you much, either.' Ifan didn't seem to hear her, not surprising given the sound of the rushing water. "I can't imagine whatever or whoever's creating that is far away. We should have a look around."

Ifan stepped back from the edge with a nod. "The sooner we shut that off the better. It won't take so long to drain that way."

Up the path was another battle site. Magisters, Paladins, Black Ring, all scattered across the ground. "Most of these don't look too old... They must still be actively fighting over the island."

Ifan nodded. "I wish I knew what for. Divinity, I'm sure... But I thought only Godwoken could ascend."

Vael pursed her lips as she began to walk further north. "Well, the Magisters have Alexandar... But the Black Ring? Judging by the state of Vrogir's temple, it seems like they're just trying to stop everyone else."

Ifan grunted. "I suppose so."

The more North they went, the louder the sound of rushing water became- Vael was confused, she thought that they were traveling _away _from Vrogir's temple... until she realized why. Up ahead they could see a Black Ring camp, and in the distance, some kind of spellcaster standing on a jutting spire of rock, channeling down into a large whirlpool that drowned out almost everything else around. As they approached the camp, Vael placed her blade on her shoulder, ready for whatever might come, but to her surprise when they came in range, they were greeted, not attacked.

A Black Ring captain, a hulk of a man, glared at the pair with one eye - his other was a weeping socket surrounded by recent burn wounds. "You're not one of mine. You're not from headquarters either. Explain yourself, or I'll open you up and rip out an answer myself." Even as he spoke, his blade began to inch out of the scabbard.

Vael smirked down at him. "I'd like to see you try."

The captain yanked his sword fully clear of the scabbard and leveled it directly at Vael. "Intruder! To arms!"

Vael cackled as she rushed down the slope toward him, so quickly that he hardly had time to react. "Ifan! The one with the portal!" Vael tore through their camp like a bolt of lightning; with her new abilities, she wasn't sure she was ever even touched. By the time she was finished, the portal master was dead, stuck full of bolts, and the area was quiet. Blessed _silence_ for once. She hadn't realized just how much the pounding sounds of the water had been getting on her nerves. "That should make it possible to go visit Vrogir, now."

Ifan grunted and slung his crossbow back over his back. "I'm sure it will be a pleasant experience."

As they examined the bodies, Vael reached through the pockets of one and pulled out a small, black mirror. "Hey, Ifan?" When he looked over she waved it at him. "It looks like a smaller version of what was in Roost's room." _'It's evil.'_

"Really? Why don't we see who's on the other side?" He stepped closer to her, looking curiously at it.

"That sounds like a fun idea." Vael wasn't sure how to 'activate' the thing or get it to work, but the longer she looked at it, the longer it seemed to change.

The glass was black... at first, but then a sickly haze began to form, like sand upon a pong. The haze shimmered and, very slowly, became a face. A wan-faced stranger looking straight at her. Vael could feel his hate, his avarice, his thirst for blood. _Godwoken _blood. He did not speak and yet... he asked who Vael was. She knew the wrong answer would send this man, this _Sallow Man_, into a ferocious rage.

Vael smirked at the mirror, then held it out at arm's length. As soon as Ifan realized what she was doing, he joined in, grinning like the wolf he was. Vael held up her other hand, curled into a fist, save for one, single middle claw, pointed straight up. "We're Godwoken, born to be Divine. And _you can go to hell._" Vael crushed the mirror in her fist, watching it crumble to inert powder, but before she did she could feel a flood of hate and rage seething from the mirror. She dusted her hands clean of it, then looked to Ifan with a grin. "Well then, I'm sure that got his attention."

She could feel a ping of pride from deep within herself. _'You really are one of mine.'_

Ifan chuckled quietly. "Ah, always good to make new friends."


	45. Vrogir

Now that the portal master was dead and the temple was likely to be draining of water, Vael and Ifan headed back up the way they'd come. The jungle had quickly come back to life with sounds and noise once the water was gone, animal noises and the rustling of trees fading back in... or maybe it was just because the water wasn't drowning out everything else. Vael was still in good spirits, they'd managed to find a way into one of the temples within a very short time of arriving on the island... With only seven... or perhaps six, technically, since they already knew one of the answers, temples to find, Vael hoped it wouldn't take too long.

There was, of course, still the question of who would be ascending... Vael had never been her own first choice, she'd wanted the Prince, then considered Ifan... but the more she thought about it, _really _thought about it... if it had to be her, she didn't think she'd do too terrible a job of it. It wasn't something she _wanted_, necessarily, but at the same time... having the strength she did now, it was almost... intoxicating. And knowing that if she did ascend, more would come with it... it gave her a lot to think about. She tried to imagine what she could do, wrongs she could right, threats she could stop- but she wondered if Lucian had thought the same. And they had learned some of what that had brought upon the world already.

Vrogir's temple loomed before them, the stone still dripping wet with water but more or less drained- temples weren't designed for holding water, after all, and it had leaked like a sieve. The great stone doors in the front still held, still moved when shoved, just enough for them to slip inside. There was water everywhere within, dripping from the walls, pooled on the floor, still running down from areas overhead where it'd filled. Though as they entered, they could see bodies laid across the floor. Some still looked like they lay where they'd fallen - especially those pinned to the ground or walls with massive bolts.

Vael looked toward Ifan with a brow raised. She was pretty sure that even her new abilities wouldn't save her if one of those things pierced her armor. She carefully descended the stairs, trying to see what had killed these Black Ring. It wasn't all that hard to see once they'd descended and the floor was easier to make out, there were pressure plates _everywhere_, scattered here and there and all over, in a thick pattern that made walking across the floor difficult indeed. "No wonder the Black Ring flooded this place... it gave them quite a bloody nose." 

"No kidding." Ifan looked to one corpse, pinned against the wall as if he were still standing.

"Step carefully and I think we'll be alright." They picked their way slowly across the floor of the temple toward the far side. "I really wonder how his priests and guardians were supposed to get around in here. The ground is littered with these things."

"I suppose he really wanted to be sure that no one was getting in here uninvited." Ifan wobbled and nearly stepped on a plate, near the end, and then they were through.

"And to get back out I suppose we just walk that path again... Easier said than done." Vael headed up the stairs, unable to see any more traps, toward a large, open area at the back of the temple. There she found what could only be an altar, a flat, stone slab resting atop a dias, decorated with Vrogir's face. _'He will expect a price from you. Together we are stronger than he. Do not pay it.'_

Vael looked toward the altar, then to Ifan. "I suppose... here goes nothing, right?" She gave him a little smile, then approached the altar. She closed her eyes and kneeled, muttering a prayer to Vrogir. She wasn't sure if this was the right way to go about it or-

Her vision clouded as her body went still, and she opened her eyes to find herself within a dark glade. It reminded her very much of what had happened in the Meistr's basement. At first, she didn't notice it, but then she saw ahead of herself a bull trapped beneath a fallen tree, malevolent eyes staring at her. As she watched, it transformed into a bear, claws digging into the earth as it struggled to dislodge the log. Then it turned again - a gorilla now, its vaulted back pushing hard against the wood. After a few more minutes' struggles, it slumped to the ground, defeated, and its contemptuous eyes returned to her. She heard a voice call to her, deep and guttural. "Strength! Give me your vigor!"

Vael squinted at the thing, this must be some kind of test... She'd heard her Goddess' voice within, telling her that it would want a price... the price it demanded must be strength. Fitting, then, for Vrogir, she thought. She watched it, the log didn't actually seem that heavy... Vael pursed her lips as she walked closer to it, then reached out, wrapping her hands around the log. At first, it didn't budge, even the slightest inch, then she saw those eyes, boring into her, staring into her, nearly hateful instead of merely hostile. She knew what this was now, a test, to see if she would give in, or if she could best him. _'You are stronger.'_ came the voice once again.

She could feel the log beginning to move, starting to budge. The creature beneath it thrashed and growled, the log seemed to grow heavier by the moment, but still, Vael strained. She shifted her grip, lowering her arms, digging her claws into the wood- it strained against her, trying to push itself down through some kind of force instead of simply weight. She struggled, but refused to bend- she would pass this test her own way, she would not give in to this brute of a God.

Vael planted her feet and _heaved_, and with a groaning, creaking strain of wood, not unlike the Lady Vengeance in heavy seas, the log shifted. Then, all at once, it seemed to grow light as a feather, all weight leaving it, and Vael shifted the log aside. It wasn't that her strength had grown... the log had simply given up. The gorilla shifted back into the form of an Orc, Vrogir himself- he stared at her, those eyes full of hate, then bowed his head. He had been beaten.

The glade around her faded out and the temple faded back in. Vael opened her eyes with a gasp- her arms felt weak and weary, but it was the strain of a battle well fought- not strength unwillingly given. She gasped and smiled, the smell of damp death filling her nostrils; she looked down at the altar- a crude sun pictograph had been hacked into the altar's rock.

Vael stood to shaky legs with a sharp intake of breath, Ifan reached out to pat her on the back. "You alright? You looked like something was shaking you apart, there."

She nodded slowly, glancing toward him as she caught her breath. "I'm fine. He asked a price of me, I wouldn't pay."

Ifan looked to the altar, then back to her. "So what happened?"

Vael grinned at him as she panted for breath. "I didn't pay."

He smirked, nodding his head once, then motioned toward the exit. "Come on, it smells like old moldy bread in here. Let's get back into the sun."

They ventured back out and Vael breathed a nice, deep breath of the fresh air. "It really did smell like moldy bread in there. I didn't notice until we got out." 

Ifan grinned. "I told you. Now come on, let's go find another temple."

Vael nodded, then headed off. They'd only just barely started their Northern circle and she knew they had quite a ways to go yet. She'd seen another path east of where they'd gone down into the Black Ring camp and wanted to head up there. As they climbed the steps, they came to an interesting, very old-looking, pillar. She imagined it was Eternal in design if this island had been around for that long, if the Gods really were what Aetera said they were, what Zorl-Stissa had confirmed... that made this island very old indeed.

This didn't look like much of a temple until Vael realized there was a shimmering silver spirit standing just in front of the pillar. Vael leaned down to look at her, but the imp woman didn't seem to notice her. She stared right through Vael, a horrified look on her face. Then her eyes flicked up to her face. "They took the realm. They took it all. _But they don't know what it is! They don't know what they have!_" 

"A realm? Do you mean an impish pocket realm? I've never seen one of those before! Most people don't believe they exist!" Vael couldn't believe it, would she actually get to see one? Go _into _one? _'Xantessa and her toys.'_

Hope flashed in the spirit's eyes as she tried to focus on Vael. "Those Black Ring dogs. They took the universe. _But they don't know what it is._ I pray they do not think to try to use it."

Vael nodded, then looked toward Ifan with a smirk. "It seems that we're looking for a world in a bottle! Well... more or less." She motioned for him to come onward. "It isn't here, anyway."

As they walked along the path, Vael realized that the large wall of trees and vines she saw ahead of herself wasn't a wall at all- it was a structure. "A building made of trees? I can only imagine and wonder whose temple that is."

Ifan stared up to it curiously. "Quite big. Tir-Cendelius seems to think highly of himself."

They walked onto the platform but couldn't see any way to get any higher. "Looks like they pulled up a vine or something." Ifan traced a hand up along an obvious empty space in the wall of trees, easy to see now that he'd pointed it out. "I guess to keep the Black Ring out."

Vael nodded, then gestured further south. "There was a path this way. I'm assuming that's how we'll get in if there is another way in."

As they walked along toward the other path, Ifan looked back to her. "What's a 'pocket realm' anyway?"

"Impish Pocket Realms are supposedly tiny universes kept in massive gems. I've never seen one, and they're only rumored to exist, but I couldn't think of anything else she'd be talking about." She looked back toward him as they continued to walk. "Not something they exactly share freely with the world."

He nodded, then looked ahead of them and pointed toward his ears. "Do you hear that?"

Vael looked to him, then turned her head to the side to listen. She could hear it, talking, the growling of a dog... Either Magisters and Source Hounds, or Black Ring... The imp _had _mentioned Black Ring dogs, but she didn't realize she was being literal. "Come on, then."

Just like the Black Ring at the beach, Vael and Ifan tore through them. It felt good to unleash herself on them, to feel her strength coursing through her. It did give her pause, make her wonder if that was the point, make her want more... but it could also be just to get her used to things, ease her into what it would be like... The idea she might still be being manipulated did make her uneasy, but Zorl-Stissa _had _been being nothing but helpful ever since. She thought it something important to keep in the back of her mind.

After the Black Ring fell, Vael realized she could hear something else. She tilted her head, closing her eyes, trying to listen in on it. "Do you hear that? It's like... screaming."

Ifan gave her a confused look, then shook his head. "No idea."

Vael closed her eyes and reached out, extending her senses slowly like Zorl-Stissa had taught her, instead of all at once. She could hear it even more clearly now, like a quiet, steady, constant screaming. She followed the sound, up a branch near where they'd fought the Black Ring, up a set of vines... they found themselves just outside of Tir-Cendelius' temple... where standing outside were Shriekers. They were living up to their name even more so than they were before because the screaming was coming from them. Constant, quiet, just out of earshot for Ifan, it seemed, but Vael could hear it. _'It is coming from their souls. Consuming them would be a mercy, not a punishment.' _

Vael nodded once, then leaned down and looked down the vine toward Ifan. "There's Shriekers up here," she whispered down to him. "Come on, but be quiet."

He raised a brow at the mention of Shriekers, but Vael should have known that if the Magisters were here, so would they be. She pointed at the two in the back, just slightly ahead of where they were- they were the most dangerous. "Three, two, one..." In unison they raised their hands, pointing them at the Shriekers. Vael took the one the furthest away, Ifan the closest. Vael was surprised at how much better it felt than before. She closed her eyes and positively _shuddered_ at how good it felt to feel the Source running into her- it was practically indecent.

As the Shriekers collapsed and died, an elf came running out of the temple toward them. "You! Stop! Explain yourself!" He was dressed in traditional elven garb but carried a _very_ large axe with him.

"We are Godwoken, and we seek the temple of Tir-Cendelius." She pointed toward the Shriekers. "These are in the way." She was glad the far two were pointed away... it seemed that they needed to see you in order to function. She tilted her head slightly, something about the elf seemed... different. He was larger, somehow, in her sight, than the Black Ring had been, even if he didn't actually seem taller. _'He is Godwoken. You see it as others do, now. Failed Godwoken, but Godwoken all the same.'_

At her words, the elf's deep, golden eyes went wide. A strange smile danced across his mouth and he started to roar with laughter. "You. The Gods chose _you _as their champion?"

Vael squinted at him. "_God._ Just one. Goddess, technically." She held up a finger toward him. "Just the one."

He smirked at her. "Run home, little Godwoken. You find only death here."

Vael shook her head. "We've killed more Voidwoken, Black Ring, Magisters and many other things than I can properly count in order to get here. I'm not going anywhere."

He blew air through his lips in something of a snort. "We have all swatted flies. That is not what lies ahead of you. You are not worthy of this temple. Leave. Run back to your hearth. Cower there while death searches for you."

Vael growled quietly under her breath, her anger rising, so familiar, and yet so... so much _hotter_ than before, it felt like it would burn her alive from the inside out. "We have been to the afterlife and back to get here. You will move, or we will _make you_."

The laughter died from the elf's eyes, replaced with weary seriousness. "Good. It is proper that the Godwoken should not be so easily pushed away. Too many are not ready for the trials ahead. You may proceed. You find no threat here. Not from me, at least."

Thoroughly disarmed, her anger went out like she'd snuffed a candle with her fingers. "Oh. Well then." She coughed awkwardly, glancing to Ifan who slowly put his crossbow away.

"Who _does _threaten us? The Black Ring are not a problem for us." She lowered her blade to rest gently back on her shoulder. She didn't even remember having drawn it.

"Heh. No, but you are not the only Godwoken, blessed one. I do not speak for the other divine champion. He may be a friend for now. He may not." At his words, Vael looked to Ifan. She was pretty sure they both knew exactly who the elf meant. "But the time comes. The time when Godwoken face each other, knowing only one will be Divine."

"And when will that be? Or where? We have questions if you'd answer them." Vael idly bounced the blade on her shoulder, she enjoyed how light it felt these days.

"Indeed you do. All Godwoken do. But it is not for the Knight of Tir-Cendelius to reveal such things. We walked your path once. You must discover it yourself, as we did. Turn to the Gods. Their guidance alone will lead you."

Vael couldn't help the smirk that crept onto her face then. "Indeed." She looked to the other Shriekers, then up into the temple. The way was clear... more or less. "Well, if there's nothing else..."

"May Zorl-Stissa ever watch over you." He bowed his head.

The grin spread wider across her face, and Vael even heard that same quiet little trickle of laughter from within herself. If only he knew how right he was! "And you too, my friend. Except... Well, you know what I mean." She gave him a little flourish and a bow as he walked away. She looked to Ifan, then motioned with her head into the elven temple. "Come on, the altar likely isn't far."

As they walked through the elven temple, Vael looked around herself. "You know, for an Elf, Tir-Cendelius has quite the sense of style." It was like they were walking upon the trees themselves, large platforms build between and across branches, plants making up the 'walls' of what was almost like a large, open-air home more than it was a temple, especially with those who seemed to have come here to take refuge from the Black Ring.

"It's incredible. There's likely nothing like it left in the world after Lucian used Deathfog on the elves." Ifan looked all around himself as they walked.

"It's a shame. All that death, and it seems to have accomplished so little."


	46. Realizations

It took them some time to find Tir-Cendelius' altar, it blended in so well with the surrounding jungle and the temple itself that they had walked past it twice without realizing it. It was only when Vael stopped to look around for it that she realized her hand was actually resting upon it and they'd stopped directly in front of the altar. She smirked slightly as she looked at it, then to Ifan, then gestured to it. "Well, here it is. I guess we should have asked someone after all."

Ifan shook his head with a little smile. "I'm not exactly complaining about being here."

"Ah, fair enough." Vael took in a deep breath and turned to face it. "Here goes nothing."

The leaves of the altar rustled, a gentle murmur on the breeze. Vael leaned in, a sweet smell wafting around her. The smell of fresh wood, of blooming flowers, of a gentle summer's night. Vael tilted her head at the scent, so crisp and clear and so nuanced. She opened herself to it, breathing in deeply of it. The scent began to fill her mind and her vision swam. She blinked her eyes and she found herself standing in a dark glade. On the wind, she heard a whisper. "Godwoken..."

For a moment the spell was nearly broken, a murmur rising up from within. _'He is the weakest of us, doomed by Lucian's Deathfog.'_ Vael nodded, then let herself sink into the scent and the vision once more. Vael turned toward where the whispered voice had come from and she saw the broken body of a fawn. A raven perched upon its head, pecking at the gory hollow that once held its eye. Vael was about to turn away, to seek a different source of the voice, when the body twitched. "Godwoken." The raven turned its gore-streaked beak toward her. Its eyes were a deep, bloody red. "Godwoken!" it croaked as it took to the air, circling the glade. "Godwoken!"

The fawn's breathing was shallow and ragged. "I need to heal. Please, if we are to make it to the Well of Ascension... I need your blood." Vael considered this, whether she should give her blood to the fawn or keep it for herself... she would need all the strength she could get when the time came, she knew. 

As she considered, she felt Zorl-Stissa stir within her once more. _'Not all contests are of strength. The Divine must give as well as take.' _Vael smirked at the thought- the old Zorl-Stissa she knew would have told her to take what she needed from Tir-Cendelius, but... she supposed the Goddess was right. Tir was already weak, she _could _simply take what she wanted from him, but... Rather than cut herself open, Vael slowly sat upon the ground near the fawn. She closed her eyes and opened herself the way she'd been taught on the ship, opening herself to the world around her. She soon realized, in doing so, that Tir-Cendelius was not _just _the fawn... but also the crow.

She began to use the Source, just as she'd been taught- it could mend flesh and bone as well as the metal of her armor. She felt it flow from her to him, soothing his pain and healing his wounds. As she moved to stand, satisfied with what she'd done, the crow alighted on her shoulder. She looked up to it, it moved to peck- to exact one last price- when her hand shot up, grasping firmly around the crow's neck as it breathed a strangled squawk. "Take what is freely given. No more." The crow's eyes stared unblinking at her until she released it, upon which it took to the air, squawking to her from the skies. "I see you, Godwoken," it croaked. "I _see _you."

As the vision around her faded, Vael looked to the altar and she could see a crescent moon cut into the wood of it. She smiled slightly, then looked to Ifan. "Let's go. Only five left to visit."

"Do you want to see what the Magisters are doing? If their Shriekers are guarding them here..." She could tell he was probably antsy to meet Alexandar again, but... 

Vael pursed her lips. "No, not yet." She looked to Ifan, then placed her hand upon his shoulder. "We will see him here before we are through. But not yet. On our own time."

He nodded, glancing over his shoulder to his crossbow, then back to Vael with a grin. "We have some things to discuss with him."

"Oh yes, we very much do." Vael grinned right back at him. "It will make a good goal, for the end of our trek around the island."

Ifan nodded and they headed off, back across Tir's temple toward the exit. As they were walking, Vael noticed someone heading toward them- another lizard, dressed in white, ceremonial monk's garb. She recognized that garb- if he was wearing something like that, shouldn't he be back at Zorl-Stissa's temple, protecting it?

The monk approached them and bowed his head, his hands clasped before himself. "Have you been to the temple of Zorl-Stissa? Is the kins-knight safe? _Is Zorl-Stissa's chosen champion safe?" _

As Vael looked at him, she heard a disgruntled rumble from within herself. She got the distinct impression that Zorl-Stissa was less than pleased with this devotee's... devotion, but at the same time, Vael could tell her displeasure was... tempered. Perhaps just a few days ago he may have gotten a scolding, but now Vael got the idea that... while she was displeased that he had abandoned his duties, she was pleased that at least he was safe.

Vael looked down to consider how to respond, then looked back to him. "I have not been to the temple. Is it truly that bad there? Why did you leave?"

"I... I was not ready to die. I cannot serve the lord Zorl-Stissa if I'm dead. I pray the temple has not crumbled and Zorl-Stissa's champion is not dead." He hung his head, clearly ashamed of what he had done. 

Vael felt some pity for him, being afraid to die was not something to be ashamed of... even their Goddess had been afraid, and it very nearly led them to attempt to destroy each other. She drew herself up, as much as she could, and placed her hands in front of herself, palms up. "I am Zorl-Stissa's chosen champion. The one and only." She wanted to tell him that he did not speak to her alone, but with Ifan standing right there... they could not reveal that card just yet. She would tell him, soon, but not yet.

The monk stood back, he did not hide the smirk on his lips, nor the mirth in his voice. "Hah! _You!?" _

_'Show him. Bless him.' _Vael nodded her head slowly and closed her eyes, holding out a hand before him. She summoned the power to her fingertips and touched them feather-light to the end of his snout. The blessing flowed through him and he stood dumbstruck, then bowed his head reverently, staring at his hands and how they glowed with the Source-blessed light. Vael reached out to him, her hand on his shoulder; she leaned in closely, murmuring under her breath. 'She is here, pray for your forgiveness.'

As she pulled herself back, he sank quickly to one knee. He nodded quickly, his hands gathered near the end of his snout. Vael inclined her head to him, telling him to continue - a contented sort of feeling rising up from within her. It seemed her passenger was thankful for Vael reaffirming the monk's faith. "I...", he stuttered, seeming unsure of what to say, but Vael decided to give him time to collect his thoughts. After all, if he had understood what she meant, he knew that Zorl-Stissa was here in person... more or less. She could imagine that would be quite a shock.

He swallowed hard, then blurted a question toward her. "Who will you destroy to save the kin?"

She blinked at this question. What an interesting one to ask... If Vael understood Zorl-Stissa's teachings correctly, the strongest were to survive on their own merits... but at the same time, if allowed to die out completely then they could never recover to become stronger in the first place... "If I were to become divine, I would do all that I could to save our people- but without needless deaths in the process... We cannot be tyrants or the world would turn against us."

He stared up at Vael in awe. Tears came to the corners of his eyes. He began to rock back and forth, spellbound in religious ecstasy. Vael had to admit that the display made her slightly uncomfortable, but if she _was _to become divine then she imagined this sort of thing would be happening quite often... _'He is merely the first. You will have to get used to this.' _Vael pursed her lips, then gently lay her fingers upon the dome of his head. "Thank you. Your prayers are appreciated."

He closed his eyes and went quiet. Vael started to turn away, but as she and Ifan moved off, she could hear him whispering under his breath. "There shall be a new Divine, and she shall be a kin... There shall be a new Divine, and she shall be a kin... There shall be a new Divine, and she shall be a kin...", repeated again and again.

There was a... pleased sort of pride coming from within herself as they continued toward the entrance of the temple, and it made Vael smirk to think of it. She looked back to Ifan, watched him watching the ground before her with a thoughtful expression. She slowed down enough that she could walk beside him. "Coin for your thoughts?"

He shook his head and looked up at her. "I just think... if that had been me, how uncomfortable I would have felt. If I were to become divine, how the... the worship would be so difficult for me to get used to."

Vael tilted her head to that as she considered her reply. "It is... different. But I feel... if you _were _to become Divine, you would be forced to get used to it. They built a cathedral in Arx to Lucian, after all. Hundreds pray there every day."

He nodded as they walked along, his face still thoughtful. "I know. It's... strange. I'm not sure I could ever get used to the idea."

She nodded in reply as they came back to the entrance to the temple finally. "I know. Another challenge on the road." Vael glanced back to where the monk had been as they walked on. It did feel strange, she didn't really feel herself... worthy of it. But maybe she could change that, in time.

As they ventured out of the temple, they continued on their circle around the island, exploring the outskirts. They seemed to have chosen a good path to take, as they'd found three of the seven temples- even if Xantessa's temple had been... indisposed. They just had to find the realm for that, though. As they climbed a rock wall to continue along a path, an interesting structure came into view. Carved into the side of the mountain ahead of them rested a doorway, before it seven altars, each projecting a magical symbol above themselves. _'The Lunar Gate. Beyond, the Academy... and the Well.'_

Vael had never heard of this 'academy' before, but she supposed that having a teaching facility before the Well might not be the worst idea anyone had ever had. She wondered why she'd never heard of it at all before? Even her Goddess hadn't mentioned it to her, nor did the Meistr. _'It has gone quiet. I did not wish to mention something which may no longer even exist.' _Vael hummed to herself as she considered. For being a supposedly omnipotent Goddess, there seemed to be a lot that Zorl-Stissa didn't know... _'Our hubris hid much from us.' _Vael considered that that was, indeed, a fair point.

As they stood, looking at the door and the altar, Ifan finally spoke up. "What _is _this place?"

Vael glanced back to him. "The Lunar Gate... And the Academy beyond it."

Ifan stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "Okay, okay, hang on." He turned toward her more-fully, staring her down. "What _happened _to you? Really. You're stronger, faster, you're godsdamned faster than my bolts sometimes. And now you just... _know _things about an island we've never even _heard of_. What's going on?"

Vael frowned as his questions hit home, and she kicked at a plant underfoot as she considered how best to ask. _'He grows suspicious. Tell him.' _Vael breathed a quiet little sigh. "I was going to," she muttered.

"And who are you _talking _to? I've seen your lips moving." He gestured toward her. "On the boat, on the island, you talk to yourself constantly."

Vael felt her cheeks flush beneath her scales and she breathed a long, quiet sigh. "Okay. Come..." She looked back. "Away from the door. I don't want to tell you here."

She led him closer to the edge, where they could stand and look out over the island as they spoke, where the imposing presence of the door, the Academy behind it, the Well behind that... they weren't quite so intimidating by their proximity. She crossed her arms in front of herself, trying to think of how she'd break things to him, then glanced toward him at her side with a soft sight. "Ifan..."

"Yes?" He looked across to her, the suspicious look still on his face. "If you tell me that you picked up a passenger on Bloodmoon Island I swear to the Seven I'm going to drag you back to the boat right now."

She couldn't help but snort at that, and she slowly shook her head. "No. You're... sort of close, but not quite."

"Well, what is it then?"

She looked up to the sky for a few moments and breathed another sigh. If they hadn't seen and experienced all they had in the last few days, she knew he'd dismiss her out of hand for going crazy. _She _still thought she was losing her mind sometimes. "So, on the ship... when I told you that I had absorbed some of her power?"

He nodded once. "Yeah? What of it?"

"That... wasn't the whole truth." She frowned at herself, wishing she'd have told him then, but she just hadn't known how Rhalic would react.

"Obviously." She could hear the hint of betrayal in his voice and it deeply hurt her.

She sighed and closed her eyes, then reached up with two claws and pinched the bridge of her muzzle. "It wasn't taken. It was given."

He stared at her in silence for a few moments, then raised his brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean..." She didn't know how to put it accurately into words. "I mean that... she, Zorl-Stissa... she... _gave _me a measure of her strength. Her... power."

He took a step back. "What."

"I know. We... we did fight. I didn't lie to you about that. We argued. For a long time. And I..." She sighed and looked to him, hoping that he would understand. "I gave up. I... I wasn't going to come back. From that last... deep dive or soul-searching session or whatever it was that we did when we breathed in the smoke. I wasn't going to return. I had given up. From everything we heard, everything we learned." She covered her eyes with her hands, ashamed of herself for even saying it. "I couldn't bring myself to go on."

He considered this for a while, a hand raised as he stroked his fingers through his beard. "So... what happened?"

"I think she had a... realization." _'Epiphany.' _"Epiphany, that..." She breathed a quiet sigh and thought to 'herself'. 'Do you just want to tell him?' There was a sort of 'uncoiling' within herself as Zorl-Stissa stretched, and then her mouth spoke with a voice that was not her own. _"I realized that I had failed my Godwoken." _

Ifan stepped back as if struck. "Wh-who- Zorl-Stissa!?" He stopped himself, staring openly at Vael. "Explain?"

_"We are dying, Ifan ben-Mezd. If Rhalic has not told you yet, that is his own failure. I realized that I had failed. She had given up. If something did not change, it would be you and Him who journeyed here alone. So something had to change. I changed."_ She faded slowly back down within Vael, and Vael felt as if she was waking slowly from a trance. She didn't think she'd ever get used to that. "So... she's... helping. Now." She frowned as she looked to Ifan, still feeling... dirty for having hidden it from him. "A lot more than before."

He looked at her, then at nothing in particular, she could see his mind working a mile a minute. "That... explains a lot of things, actually."

Vael breathed a quiet little sigh. "Can you forgive me for not telling you sooner?"

He looked up to her and she could see the mistrust in his gaze. By not telling him, she'd broken something between them, and it weighed heavily on both their hearts. "I... don't know. But I can think about it."

Vael nodded her head slowly, looking down at the ground before him. "That's all I can ask you for."


	47. Xantezza

After some time in silence, while Vaeltorya stood and waited to see what Ifan would say or want to do, he finally turned toward her. He still had that suspicious look in his eye, but it seemed... tempered. "So you have a God in your head."

Vael nodded with a little smile. "Sort of. She usually feels like she's..." Vael lowered a hand over her chest and stomach area, rubbing in a little circle. "Around here, somewhere. It's... hard to put into words. You know when we infuse with Source or take it from a Shrieker or something like that?"

He nodded once.

"Kind of in that same space." Vael sighed softly. "I was going to tell you. I really was. But with... with everything going on, and we hadn't even reached the island yet, and..." She rubbed a claw over the back of her neck. "We weren't sure... what Rhalic had or hadn't told you. Whether you or he would... accept this."

Ifan thought, his hand rubbing slowly through his beard. "He doesn't... talk to me like that." He looked over toward Vael. "We tend to not agree on anything. I think at this point he's more resigned that I'm the one than he is... proud, or accepting."

_'Rhalic always was unyielding. I am not surprised.'_ Vael frowned at the thought. "I'm sorry, Ifan. It's... different. It's both good and... bad, sometimes. I think."

He looked toward her with a brow raised.

"I think..." She frowned, not sure how to put it into words, yet again. "I think our personalities have... mixed. Somewhat? I think I would be more likely to punish or hurt someone than I was before, fighting comes easier, I don't even think about the ones we're attacking or killing but at the same time..." She gestured vaguely with a hand. "I think I have been a... an influence on her too. I don't know if a good one, but I can say _an _influence with some certainty." Her Goddess remained notably silent on that front.

Vael threw her hands up vaguely. "I don't know. I really don't. But... I think it was a good thing. _Is _a good thing... They don't have much time left." She pursed her lips, still unsure if she wanted to reveal what Zorl-Stissa had been planning. She had no idea if Rhalic was thinking of trying the same thing, trying to take over him after they visited the Well if he became divine. "I would much rather them with us than against us, you know? And... I don't think she can be more 'with' us than she is now." _'I could not, any longer.' _'What do you mean?' Vael muttered. _'__I am too weak now. Without a massive infusion of Source, I could not manifest without straining myself to the breaking point.' _Vael felt her shoulders fall at that news, breathing out a quiet 'oh' under her breath.

Ifan watched her through all of this, then slowly shook his head. "I'm never going to get used to you talking to yourself." He paused. "Her. ... Yourselves?" He shook his head, then threw up his hands. "Whatever."

Vael smiled at him, just a little bit. "I'm sorry, Ifan. I really am. Do you think we can go on? The day's starting to draw on and I'd like to find at least, like... one more temple before the day's through."

He took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He considered for some time, then eventually nodded his head. "Okay." He pointed over the edge of where they had been standing and talking. "And, by the by, I think I found our pocket-whatsit."

Vael hurried over the edge to see what he was pointing at. As they'd been speaking, a pair of Black Ring wargs had climbed into view on a platform just below them, dragging a massive ruby between them. And if Vael wasn't losing her mind... she was pretty sure that the ruby was yelling at them. "I... think you might have. Should we go see them?"

Ifan nodded with a little smile. "Yeah. We've been standing around long enough."

Vael grinned, then nodded her head. She was glad to have her friend back with her, at least to some degree- she wasn't sure what she'd have done if he'd left her, or Gods forbid if he'd attacked her over it, though she never would have expected that he actually would... Regardless, it was good to have him at her side again. They climbed down the cliff face using more of the ever-present vines, then it was just a short jump to the platform the dogs were on.

Vael had been intending to try to scare them off or drive them away, but as soon as they came into view, the two massive wargs growled and leaped at them. Between herself and Ifan, they put them down quickly, leaving the... mostly unharmed, if slightly-slobbered ruby theirs for the taking. She leaned down toward the thing, staring at it, wondering if it really could be...

Within the crimson crystal, a galaxy of stars seemed to twinkle, and beyond the stars lie a strange and wondrous realm. It really _did _seem to be an imp-built pocket realm. They did exist! The stars swirled and moved, slowly forming... a face. An _imp _face."Lookie lookie lookie here! What's red and black and blue all over?"

Vael pursed her lips- if her reading had been correct... "This is a pointless riddle. Get to the point. Or I'll smash you on a rock."

Ifan looked to her quickly, but she held up a hand for him to wait.

"Oh!" The gem went quiet, then began to speak very quickly. "Rightly rightly rightly right! How very rightly right! Come inside..." The face dissolved and the stars began to swirl... Vael felt herself spinning, falling, her head swirling like the stars in the gem.

When her head and vision cleared, Vael found herself standing within... "The rumors are true! A whole realm inside of a gem..."

Ifan appeared next to her, holding his head for a moment before he looked around. "Incredible."

Vael couldn't help but realize something felt... wrong, though. She tried to move, to lift her foot, and everything felt so... heavy. She groaned softly under her breath. "Oh, Gods. This place is awful."

Ifan didn't realize what she meant at first until he too tried to move and realized _exactly _what she was talking about. "Alright... let's see if we can't figure out what's causing this and then stop it."

Vael nodded as quickly as she could manage. "Exactly. Come on." She hurried as much as she could, but under the effects of... whatever it was, she was eternally frustrated by how slowly she moved as they explored the small section of the space that they had access to. "What is going on in this place?" the voice within spoke up once more. _'It is likely one of Xantessa's machines. Though what to do with it I cannot tell you.'_ Vael smirked and breathed a snort. "Really helpful."

"What was that?" Ifan looked toward her.

Vael shook her head. " 'It's a machine' but no more help than that."

He grinned as he realized what she meant. "Well, at least she tried."

Vael shook her head again with a quiet little laugh. "I guess." Vael got the distinct impression that Zorl-Stissa was, of all things she could be doing at the moment, sulking. "Okay, so we need to figure out how to progress..." She looked and pointed. "Door there. Door there. That door won't open." She hummed as she thought, then as she took a step back, she realized the floor under her clicked. She lifted her foot, then put it down, listening as it clicked both times. "That did something. Look around for panels like this, step on them, put something on them, let's see what they do."

They found four such panels. Individually, they didn't seem to do much, but by piling furniture and other objects on them until they clicked... one of the closed doors opened. Vael smiled. "Very good. Okay, onward... as fast as we can move onward, anyway."

As they explored the next area, having to figure out how to get through a cloud of sparks by blocking the pipes emitting them, finding out that the pressure plates in this area were _not _to be pressed down unless they liked being on fire, they eventually came upon a book. It mostly spoke about existence and 'continuity of existence' but toward the end was a phrase that Vael thought important. 'Follow the pipes.' "What do you suppose that means, Ifan?"

"I would say it probably means what it sounds like. But there are so many pipes around here, the real question is which ones to follow."

They continued onward, eventually managing to find a spirit and a dead imp. Vael assumed the two belonged to one another. She stepped closer, peering toward the spirit- it didn't seem to want to do much talking, but like the spirit back where they'd found the Aeteran's chamber when she reached forward, she felt their minds connecting. 

_'She was Mrazxken the engineer. She kept the machine running and focused on its primary task. Just as her ancestors did, she awaited the answer to the great question: 'What is the Universe?' But the machine only knows what the Universe is **not. **It searches for the right answer by eliminating the wrong ones. She expected the process to be completed soon. Any millennium now, in fact. But recently... she's been getting the impression that the machine... well, it just didn't **trust **her._

Vael searched the imp for memories of how the imp died, maybe they could be more enlightening. _Again she was Mrazxken. After long years of quiet work, the gem fell into the jaws of two great Black Ring wargs, who treated it as a toy. The machine suspected her of sabotage and responded in self-defense._ _She fled to the one place where she knew she would be safe from the Deathfog and the rockfire. But before she could plan her rush to the core - where she'd apply the failsafe - a falling object hit her on the head. In a flash she was dead. But still the objective burned in her mind - get to the great ball of light at the core of the machine and turn off its defenses. _

Vael slowly came back to herself with a soft, gentle sigh. Unlike last time, where she'd come back to herself disoriented and confused, she felt at least... mostly herself afterward. "Oh, good... Lucian's work is even here."

Ifan looked toward her. "What happened?"

"If the machine realizes we're here and activates its defenses as it did on these imps... it expels Deathfog."

"Oh, good." Ifan frowned. "The stuff is everywhere now."

"I guess with him dead, no one has been regulating it that well."

Ifan growled. "No kidding."

As they explored further into the machine, they came across a door they couldn't open- poison traps in a large circle guarded it, but it at least kept moving around the circle and they found a space just barely near the edge where they could stand out of the range of the worst of it. "This door won't open, but there's a lever beyond." Vael looked to Ifan.

"I think... I could climb across. It looks like there's a lever on the other side."

Vael nodded, then motioned for him to head forward. He clambered across the gap, having to go around the edges of the machine to do it, but eventually worked himself into the small, blocked off back area. As he pulled the lever, the door opened, and Vael hurried around to meet him. "Looks like the only thing here is a big... valve." She looked down at it, then back to Ifan. "Do you know what a 'hyperdrive protocol' is?"

He shook his head. 

"Well, it doesn't seem like it'll kill us immediately..." She reached over and very carefully turned the valve a fraction... and felt some of the weight across her body lift. She turned it more, more of the weight fell away, until she wrenched it all the way around- and she very suddenly felt very light on her feet indeed! She felt like she could run for ages, and very quickly too... or maybe make it to a defensive and deadly core before it exploded and killed them all. Or... did whatever it was going to do to try to kill them.

"Okay, Ifan... I think now we try to find the pipes it wants us to find." She looked toward him. "Ideas?"

"There were some near where we ... landed, or whatever you want to call it. Maybe we can look at those. Most of these-" He pointed at the pipes around themselves. "Don't look like anything we could really 'follow'."

Vael nodded, then headed back the way they'd come. It was so freeing to be so fast again, this place had really been weighing her down. After they headed back to where they'd entered, they realized that they really could follow the pipes... there was actually a walkway off and down and around... it looked like it led all the way back to where the glowing core of light at the center of the machine was. "I'd say those look like pipes to follow if ever I'd seen any."

Vael lowered herself down onto the platform, then carefully hurried across them to see where she'd end up. As she moved she found herself just... staring at the massive clockworks around her. She couldn't believe a place like this could exist, couldn't imagine all the work that went into it. She even felt a grumpy sort of acknowledgment within herself that 'Xantessa did build impressive machines', but Vael could also feel a little tinge of jealousy. Seemed old habits died hard, she supposed.

At the end of the pipes, however, she hit a bit of a snag. She could see the core's platform but even with how light she felt, she wasn't sure she could make it across in a single jump... and if she missed... well, there was nothing below but clockwork and literally empty space. _'Do you forget what you can do? Leap for it!'_ Vael pursed her lips at the thought, then gathered herself up, doing a few little test lunges...

She leaped, off into space, across the gap. To her absolute amazement she... almost made it. She slammed into the edge with a grunt and a clang of metal against metal, her legs dangling helplessly over the abyss, tail flailing. Vael cried out in frustration as she heard a voice from within the core. "Hostile threat detected."

"Nonononono", she scrambled to climb up the side, claws screeching over metal as she struggled for purchase.

"Execution operator extirpation in-"

"Nonononono!"

"Three-"

_"Nonononono!" _Vael struggled up onto the platform, she didn't even have time to get to her feet, she scrabbled forward on all fours toward the thing.

"... two..."

"_Nonono**nononono-**_" Vael slammed her hand onto the ball of light... and the countdown never finished.

As she touched the great glowing ball of light, text appeared before her eyes. "Operator extirpation aborted. Threat de-escalated. Returning to primary task. Answer search running." 

Vael breathed what was probably the biggest sigh of relief she'd ever breathed in her life. She felt like all of her pieces and parts and limbs and everything else were about to fall away from one another in sheer _relief_ that she wasn't about to be 'extirpated', whatever that was. It didn't sound pleasant. She remembered the imps and that it was searching for a question... She wasn't sure how to communicate with it... she tried just talking. "You know all the imps are dead?"

It actually answered her, text scrolling across before her eyes. "Abnormal seismic activity threatened primary task operations. Operator sabotage suspected. To protect core functionality and data retention, first-level security measures were activated. Operator submitted override string 'LARGE QUADRUPEDS ARE PLAYING WITH THE FRAMING DEVICE'. The likelihood of quadrupeds having the capacity of play was calculated at one in two. The likelihood of an operator lying about quadrupeds shaking the framing device was also calculated at one in two. Operator's manner and language indicated hostility to the machine. Operator was identified as most likely primary threat. Extirpation was deemed the safest and most logical action."

Vael shook her head and decided not to press it any further... She didn't want to be targetted for 'extirpation' and was starting to feel like she should get out of here, but..." She glanced back- she'd seen Xantessa's altar before when she was scrambling across the platform, but obviously she'd had bigger things on her mind at the time. Like not being extirpated.

She moved over to the altar, reaching out to touch it. Its cold surface was a curious foil to the thrumming and clanging metal that surrounded her. Vael moved toward the altar and closed her eyes, praying softly to the Goddess of Mirth. Her vision clouded, her head swam, and when the fog cleared she was... still in the imp temple. Compared to what had happened with the others, this didn't seem right... She looked around in confusion, wondering if something had gone wrong-

There was a cough behind Vael. Turning around quickly, Vael found... Xantezza. Not some allegorical figure, not some awe-inspiring god, just... her. Vael was instantly reminded of how Zorl-Stissa had looked when they last spoke. Defeated but... resolute. Not trying to inspire, cajole, trick, seduce or subvert. Simply... there. She was leaning against one of the struts on the platform, taking Vael in slowly. She lifted her head, speaking a single word- "Moon."

Slightly confused, Vael squinted at her curiously. _'I sense no trick here.' _"Me either," Vael muttered to the air. "That's why I'm worried." She looked toward the trickster goddess- this seemed most unlike her. "Why'd you just... give me the information? No test? No trick?"

"There is not much mirth to be had these days." She really did sound defeated, Vael almost felt sorry for her. And there was no imp Godwoken, at least not one that Vael had ever seen... Maybe she'd been unable to find one- defeated before the contest had even begun. "But the Gods turning to the creations they've abused to save them? What could be more hilarious than _that_? Well - I do have _one _idea."

Vael felt Zorl-Stissa squirm uncomfortably inside of her. It seemed Vael hadn't been the only one to see the irony of the situation, though she supposed that the goddess of mirth and tricks _would _be the one to spot it right away.

"What could be funnier than a mortal, chosen by her Goddess to be her champion, to be stolen away by her... to be the one to show her that she was wrong all along?" 

Vael's eyes widened. "You know about that?"

"Of course." Xantezza waved a hand playfully. "Old Rhalic has been screaming up a storm. He can't believe the depths she'd stoop to, can't believe she'd bargain with mortals, willingly give away her power... He says for old Zorl-Stissa of all the Gods to be the one to change... But then again, I don't think he's changed a wink in a thousand years. I'm not sure he even understands what change is anymore. But you..." She pointed at Vael, one eye squinted. "You would have been a good imp. Always questioning things."

She smiled, nodding her head toward Vael. "I would have asked you to renounce her before; before we learned all of this, but now... The real joke would be to get her to renounce _you._" Vael's eyes widened in surprise once again. "She hasn't spoken to the rest of us since, you know. Not a word. Not a peep. It's almost funny." Xantezza smiled, shaking her head. "The irony of it all." She slowly faded away, the symbol of the moon glowing faithfully upon her altar.

As Vael stood there, somewhat stunned, she reached inside of herself once again. "Is that true?" There was a sheepish sort of feeling from the presence inside of her. _'Yes. I have not spoken to the others since we last met in person.' _"Is it true? That you would have to 'renounce' me?" The answer didn't come, but she could feel more uncomfortable squirming inside of herself. Vael decided to leave it at that, a wide grin on her face as she hurried back to where Ifan was waiting.

As she ran toward him, he was leaning against one of the walls of the platform, waiting for her, arms crossed. He stood up as she approached. "Well, considering we're not dead, I'm assuming we can leave now?" 

Vael nodded. "That's right. Altar found, machine shut off. Time to go."

Together they reached for the exit; a large, glowing pillar of light. The machine-world faded around them.


	48. Duna

As they returned from the gem, Vael couldn't help feeling heavier- she knew, of course, that this was her normal weight and that everything was fine again, but she couldn't help that she missed the feeling of lightness and speed she'd had within it. She hefted the large ruby in her hand, holding it steady. "I guess we should go put this back, huh?"

Ifan glanced toward it, then nodded. "Might be a good idea."

When they ventured back and replaced the gem upon its pedestal, there was no reward, no words of acknowledgment, no recognition at all from the gem. But Vael did feel a slight bit of satisfaction from having returned it to its rightful place and she supposed that would be enough. With the gem replaced, they ventured back on to continue their circle around the island, soon coming along the Southern side from the east. As they passed down past the Lunar Gate again, they came upon a skeletal woman standing watch over another temple approach- judging by the fact that it was dug into the side of the rock, she assumed it was most likely Duna's.

She stepped toward the skeletal woman, holding out a hand in greeting. If she was an enemy to the Black Ring, she wanted to make sure she knew that the two of them weren't going to be a threat. "Seems like you made a few friends around here..."

She stood proudly at the lip of a broken bridge. Understandably fearless of the fatal drop, she gazed into the lava sputtering below. She turned to Vael, motioning to the Black Ring corpses at her feet. "Good riddance to bad rubbish, eh? Only thing I like less than Black Ring are trolls." She looked toward Vael. "Godwoken, are you?"

Vael nodded her head. 'That's right. Zorl-Stissa's chosen." She gestured to Ifan. "And Rhalic's."

"I thought so. I _see _it on you, like an aura. I see such things, for I am The Watcher. And I see such things, for I am a Seeker."

"Seeker?" Vael glanced to Ifan, then back to the woman. "Like one of Meistr Siva's people?"

"The Meistr!" She batted a skeletal hand in a truly derisive fashion. Her crackling laugh sounded like dry leaves whirling in the wind on an autumn night. "The Meistr's ragtag band are but a pale imitation of the tradition they sought to revive. I am one of the original Seekers: We swore to be the Knights of the Council, Guardians of Godwoken and defenders of divinity! Together, we failed. But still, I try. Alone. Unless..."

Vael grit her teeth at the way the Meistr Siva had been dismissed so easily out of hand, she wanted to tell this woman exactly what for, that they wouldn't even be here if not for Siva, that she had failed and Siva, the one she dismissed, had succeeded, but... She forced herself to calm, closing her eyes and quietly quenching the flames of anger that burned up within so that she could remain calm. "Unless _what_?" she finally asked. Her words a little harsher than she would have liked, but it was an improvement over what she'd wanted to do, so she'd take it.

"The Knight of Duna has been cursed. Void runs through his veins where Source once flowed. I am sworn to protect the Council and all within it... But that same oath renders me unable to lift a blade against him." She looked to Vael and Ifan. "Release the Knight's good spirit from his corrupted shell, Godwoken. Do this and I will give you with the last standard of the original Seekers. If you seek ascension, it could help you greatly in the trails along the way."

Vael frowned slightly but nodded toward the woman. "We'll do it, but not for the reward. There are few enough guardians as it is, he should be restored if we can."

The woman stared at Vael a moment longer before agreeing. "My thanks. And the thanks of Duna's Knight too. In life, I knew him well. He would hate to be like this. Believe me, you would be releasing him from torment. Please do."

As they stepped away from the woman and toward Duna's temple, below, they came across the bridge- knocked out, maybe by the fighting, maybe by time, but it rendered his temple inaccessible... for others, perhaps. Vael and Ifan used the same trick they had many times, before, throwing across a teleporter pyramid, then following it, to cross the bridge. It was a short enough gap they could have jumped... but with the prospect of falling in lava if they messed it up, they decided to take the safer route.

With the gap crossed, they ventured into the temple itself. Dark, hot, dry air assailed them as they stepped inside- it was clear this temple was built around the lava in the area intentionally, channels for it had been carved in the rock to allow its passage without flowing into the temple itself. Even so, the temple had seen better days. Not just because of the dead Black Ring that littered the interior, but certain sections looked like they were starting to collapse. Vael wondered how old this place really was, or if it was just becoming more run-down over time as its guardians dwindled... or if this damage was recent because of the invasion.

As they ventured deeper, they found... suspiciously lifelike statues stood here and there along the temple's halls. Dead Black Ring rested very close to many of them, Vael glanced back to Ifan, then hefted her sword and approached one of them. As she expected, it came to life and swung at her- she wondered if it would have done the same to a Dwarf. She deflected the blow and struck back with one of her own- her blade clanged off of the rock, but the impact seemed to have been enough to destabilize it, as the next time it attempted to move, it crumbled into rubble.

Not wanting to damage her own weapon unintentionally, just in case, Vael picked up the crumbled statue's spear. She could see more of them further on and started trying to pick a path that would carry her past as few of them as possible. This proved to be problematic, because the moment they stepped into the larger hallway of statues, traps on the walls began to spew floating globes of poison at them, forcing Vael and Ifan to hurriedly dodge both them and the blows of the statues themselves. Vael broke several of them, jabbing the spear into cracks or gaps and leveraging them apart, but between the poison and the statues themselves, they just simply had to avoid most of them.

As they approached the large, open chamber at the end of the hallway, Vael spotted Duna's altar, carved with his likeness- as well as far more statues. Most curiously, however, was who she assumed could only be the Knight of Duna, a dwarf sitting on a large chair- maybe throne. He was currently bashing his head in with his fist, his helmet partially collapsed and blood running down his face.

As Vael approached, avoiding one of the statues, he began to laugh loud and long. "Come, hear my joke... What is it that I guard?"

Unsure if this was a trick or an actual question, and totally unsure as to whether or not it was actually a joke, Vael answered. "You guard the Temple of Duna, God of the Dwarves."

"Ha! Wrong! I guard nothing, do you hear me? Nothing! He showed me." He leaned forward, glimpsed beneath the crumpled helmet was a mangled face and crazed, unblinking eyes. "It's all a joke. There's only nothing to guard. Only lies. You'll see yourself, once you're dead."

Vael frowned slightly at the state of him. "Do they truly tell their followers nothing?", she muttered under her breath. _'I was the same once. Duna is one of the worst for it. Stoic and silent.__' _

Vael looked up at the knight before her, then slowly shook her head. "You need to get a grip on yourself. You're supposed to be the _Knight of Duna_, not some cackling lunatic."

He stared at her, then his features slackened. He looked almost calm... bu the moment passed and his maniacal scowl crept back. "No more talking, hear me!? There's only one way this will end..."

Vael placed her blade on the ground, tip first, and stared at him. "You've been cursed, you mad fool... But we can break it if you stand down."

The knight bowed his head and exhaled. When he looked up once again, there was something different in his eyes... a passing flicker of lucidity. "Godwoken! I see you now. Pray to the altars - don't let the Void consume the world. The madness will return - I won't let myself become a danger to you... farewell."

Vael held out an arm toward him. "Wait!" But it was too late. The dwarf reached for a knife buckled to his belt, and before Vael could stop him, he slit his own throat and fell to the ground. With his death, the statues around the temple crumbled- she supposed they had been connected to him in some way. She sighed as she approached his body, staring down at him and the spirit that had risen from him as he fell. "You poor man... we could have tried to break the curse."

The Knight's spirit was altogether more composed than his late, corporeal form. His helmet rested in the crook of his arm, revealing an august dwarven face, creased with worry. "I had to end myself, Godwoken. Death was the only salve for the madness foisted upon me. But these fiends resurrect those they have use of... please - consume my spirit. I don't want to come back. I don't want to be their slave."

Vael looked down at him and slowly frowned. "Are you certain? You're sure there's no other way?"

He bowed his head. "I failed them once before, a Godwoken like you. Now I've failed them again. And something else has hold of me now, I don't think there's any other way."

Vael chewed her bottom lip, then slowly held a hand out toward him. "I'm sorry."

He closed his eyes and waited, his only reaction a stoic nod. "Thank you. Look to the altars for guidance, Godwoken."

The connection closed between the two of them as Vael drew his spirit toward herself, drew his Source toward her. She felt a pull from the other end, not from the spirit, who stood resolute... but something else. She pulled him toward herself, feeling him starting to fill her up, that precious flood of Source coursing through her. It wasn't like the Shriekers, anemic and half-dead already, his spirit was strong and healthy and... full. She grit her teeth against the feeling of it, the way it seemed to fill all the empty spaces within... and then it was over, the spirit before her drained to nothing. "No wonder you created us for that..." _'It is addictive. Temper yourself like we never could.' _Vael gave a grim nod. "Right."

She heard Ifan mutter a prayer over the Knight's corpse, and she bowed her head toward him. Then, she turned to the altar. Carved into the face of the altar was a dedication: 'In honor of Duna, patron of the dwarves. Long may their mountain halls stand as a testament to him.' She placed her hand onto the altar and offered a prayer, just as she had done to all the others.

Hard stone melted into cool water at her touch. Before her stretched a lake - or rather a mire. The waters were fetid and rotten, the air filled with a choking miasma. Through the dense fog, she could hear a voice. 'Please, cleanse this place. Let me breathe...' Vael squinted, curiously, wondering what trick there might be here... She couldn't, however, sense one at all, even Zorl-Stissa remained silent in this instance. She raised her hands, calling upon the strength within her to cast a blessing upon the lake. The miasma cleared slowly as the power of her blessing skipped across the surface. She looked down- her own face gazed back at her, reflected in the now-crystalline water; high above her reflection, the full moon stood vigil. As Vael stood back from the altar, the vision fading before her, she noticed a lunar rune now carved into the rock.

_'Stoic, but fair.' _Vael pursed her lips at that, but nodded her head and looked to Ifan. "Come on. Not many left now."


	49. Amadia

As they walked free from Duna's temple, Vael counted the shrines on her claws. "Vrogir, Xantezza, Tir-Cendelius, Duna. That only leaves Rhalic, Zorl-Stissa, and Amadia to find." 

"Is it _you _that wants to find her temple or her?" Ifan looked to Vael.

"We both want to."

He smirked. "That isn't what I asked."

Vael pursed her lips as she considered, then nodded once. "_I _want to. I... somehow I just don't think it'd be proper to visit every temple _except _hers, and I think... at this point she's maybe even earned... you know, that much." She felt a sort of smug pride radiate up from within her. "Okay, okay, don't get ahead of yourself," she muttered to the presence within.

They exited the temple, not realizing just how oppressive the heat and dry air inside had been until they were back out into the open air once again. The air was still dry, of course it was with this much lava around, but it was that fraction cooler and that was enough.

Directly ahead of them, off in the distance, they saw a massive structure climbing up into the clouds themselves... Vael couldn't quite figure how something like that managed to stay standing, but then again that meant it was _probably _a temple they wanted to find... If her studies told her anything, it was probably Amadia's. She felt a pull tugging her south, her Goddess eager to visit her own temple, but she wanted to save their own temples for last- She had a vague idea of where Zorl-Stissa's was given the tugging, but they hadn't yet spotted Rhalic's in their adventures around the island.

As they headed West toward the massive temple structure, they came upon what looked like a camp- judging by the banners flying outside of it, they'd stumbled onto a Black Ring camp, the largest one they'd seen so far... They tried to skirt around it, not wanting to go willingly storming into a camp this big without good reason, but they were spotted on the outskirts by two lizards... Vael thought they must be two defecting Dreamers- they had that strange... otherworldly look around them. 

As the lizards raised the alarm, other Black Ring came running out of the camp toward them, shouting war cries. "Sallow says show them your steel! The God King demands blood!"

Vael imagined this 'God King' they were shouting about must be the 'King' that had been haunting their steps since the beginning... and alarmingly she felt Zorl-Stissa shrink back inside of her at the thought of his name... whatever frightened a Goddess was almost certainly bad news.

As the battle was met, Vael found herself among them- she didn't know if she was just more comfortable in her abilities, if she was more eager to cultivate her fire because of them, if it really was Zorl-Stissa pushing her more readily into battle... she found herself almost at home in it. She was a whirl of steel, cutting down Black Ring at every turn, her blade finding a mark on nearly every swing and thrust. She danced among them, the lion among sheep that she'd been told to be- if differently than had been intended when it was said.

Ifan was no slouch himself, even without his God as fully at his side as Vael's was. His bolts struck true, as they always had, the wolf's aim never better. He fired on the move, changing positions. He always found some way for his bolts to seek their targets, through the walls of tents, over fires, around Vael. He almost never missed. He knew just how to draw them toward Vael while they were chasing him, putting her between him and them, allowing the two of them to work together. She almost imagined that without him backing her up, she wouldn't be finding quite as much success.

As the dust settled, the battle over, the scent of blood heavy on the air, Vael returned to where she'd seen the lizard dreamers, the first to be struck down. She crouched near them, watching the cooling bodies. "What is it that would drive Dreamers to serve the ring?" _'Fear.' _"But of what?" _'The 'what' doesn't matter. They were shown that which they feared and they fled from it. Straight into those who created it.' _"Sounds familiar," she muttered to her Goddess. _'I realized a way forward despite it.' _Vael waited expectantly. _'With help.' _She smirked at that, then slowly stood.

She found Ifan staring at her and she flushed again, once more glad for her scales hiding it. "What?"

"I really am never going to get used to that. It's like being in a room where you know there are two people, but you can only see and hear one." 

Vael considered. "She could ... speak through me, I guess? If it would make you feel better?"

He shook his head. "No, that would be even more strange."

She grinned at him and reached out, clapping her hand onto his shoulder to give him a little squeeze. "I'm very glad for your understanding, Ifan. Despite everything, you've been a good friend."

He nodded once to her, raising two fingers into a 'salute'. "You have too, despite the missteps. Come on, there're more temples to find."

They traveled through the Black Ring camp and then down toward the massive structure, having to use their teleporter pyramids to progress once again. "How did they expect anyone to get to these temples? There are destroyed bridges everywhere.", Vael wondered aloud.

"I can only imagine the Black Ring had something to do with it." Ifan looked down at the destroyed Divine Order ships that decorated the western shoreline of the island, easily visible from this close, burnt and shattered and half-sunk. "Just like these."

Vael looked over the edge- she couldn't help but feel sorry for them, so many lives had been lost, but at the same time these _were _the Magisters who had hunted and collared and imprisoned them for no other reason than their Source... They still had a lot to answer for.

The temple itself that they had arrived at had no visible way into the interior... But there were rather conspicuously placed vines facing the sea- Vael could only imagine that they were meant to climb. She looked to Ifan with a little grin. "How's your arm strength?"

He slung his crossbow over his back and then began to climb. "Not as good as yours, but I bet I can still beat you to the top with all that armor you're wearing."

Vael chuckled softly and began to chase him up the vines, the two of them heading higher and higher into the clouds. As they finally ascended- helped by the fact that every now and then there were ledges to rest on if they needed it- Ifan was the first one to climb up and onto the platform, Vael close behind. Of course, the vines weren't as wide near the top, meaning only one could climb at a time, and Vael _had _let him go first... She grinned to herself, clapping him on the back. "Good work, my friend." She looked around herself, at the stonework temple that really only seemed to be supported by a tree growing atop the larger base of the temple... "I can't help but wonder what's holding this aloft." A storm raged around them, pelting the two with rain just to add to all the complications.

"Amadia is the Goddess of magic, after all. It was her face on the edifice as we climbed." Ifan glanced aside to her.

"True, true. Still seems rather... unstable." She smirked, then shrugged as she ventured onward. "Come on."

They were forced to use the teleporters yet again to progress, traveling over gaps in the walkways- these seemed to be intentional, as they found only a single dead Black Ring soldier here. He had activated the traps, but Vael didn't imagine that he'd managed to collapse the walkways all on his lonesome. She supposed with a floating temple in the sky... they were probably there on purpose. Maybe Amadia expected her followers to be good enough mages that they'd have no problem crossing the gaps through one method or another.

They found themselves blocked by barriers covering the only ways to progress, large, floating... things calling down magical spells and effects to block their way. There were statues in the middle of the open spaces they _could _reach, but the things were guarding them quite effectively. Vael looked to Ifan after they'd found a safe spot away from the things. "What are the chances we have to do something with those statues they're guarding in order to move forward?"

He smirked and clapped her on the back. "You're far more durable than I am at this point, my friend. I suggest you venture ahead to check."

Vael grumbled softly to herself at that, but she had to admit that he was right. She waited for what felt like a good time to run down and interact with it, then bolted forward from where they took shelter. As soon as she touched the statue it came to life, shifting and spinning. A barrier nearby fell, Vael bolted from this statue to the barrier, dodging that sentinel as well, then touched the statue there- the sentinel guarding it shut down, disappearing into the ether, and another barrier opened.

Now that they knew what to do, interact with the barriers to move forward, Vael rushed ahead to do the same with the others while Ifan remained safely behind - no reason to put him in needless danger if she could handle it. As Vael touched the last statue, the storm cleared and the last sentinel deactivated- and ahead of them, near where they'd been sheltering from the sentinels, a portal opened.

When they stepped through it, they found themselves within the clutches of another storm, they assumed they'd been created to help hinder those who weren't wanted, now that the defenses were active, and found themselves with another set of statues to deal with. These were far better guarded than the others had been, the center area that they could move through at the moment was a hellscape of fire, water, steam clouds, electricity arcing through it all as the sentinels summoned spell after spell.

Ifan looked to Vael and chuckled softly. "Good luck." He shook his head, clapping her on the back.

She pouted at him for that, but she supposed she was still the better choice of the two. She waited until she thought she spotted a tiny opening, then sprinted across- She managed to make it with only a tiny amount of singing and her tail stung of cold, but a moment of gently rubbing it with her fingers restored feeling to it. She touched the statue and another barrier opened, a sentinel disappearing, but there were several others. As Vael looked out over where she'd come from, she realized there was someone atop the pillar- but she didn't seem to be controlling them in any way, instead, she almost seemed to be hiding, surrounded by a magical barrier.

Vael waited until she thought she saw another opening and sprinted past to the newly opened area, getting a little bit more singed in the process, but she'd avoided the worst of it. She touched this statue, then sprinted across to the last. As soon as her fingers touched it, the storm cleared and the sentinels disappeared, leaving Vael and Ifan standing in the afternoon sun. The woman they'd seen stood up from where she'd been sheltering in the barrier, teleporting herself down to the ground- at least that confirmed for Vael that it seemed like these abilities were expected were you to venture into the temple.

The woman strode up to the two of them, one of her hands raised, ready to cast a spell. "Our defenses are breached. Must I kill you now? It would pain me."

Vael looked to Ifan, then back to the woman, and slowly shook her head. "It would probably pain us too, but... No. I don't think you have anything to fear from us."

The woman slowly lowered her hand. "I am... relieved. I greet you: I am... I _was_... Amadia's chosen champion." She bowed her head. "Please, take this boon. It is Amadia's. It should be yours."

Vael raised her brow curiously as she took the 'boon', a pair of gloves, beaten and worn, but they crackled with a certain energy... Vael wondered if Malady might make heads or tails of them since neither she nor Ifan knew much about magic. She felt a stirring within herself, something that she mentally equated to a soft '_ahem' _and realized that they did, in fact, know someone else who knew a fair bit about magic. Slightly embarrassed to have to be reminded, Vael made a mental note to look over the gloves later.

"What are you doing up here all alone?", she finally asked. "You said you were her champion, do you serve Amadia still? Her Knight, like the others?"

The woman nodded. "I came to the Council to learn to be Divine. I failed. I am not made to be pursued by evil - and that's what it means to be Godwoken." Vael snorted, she definitely had the right of that. "Afterwards I roamed the island, as did all we fallen knights." But the woman did give Vael a bit of insight about what the 'Council' or the 'Academy' had actually been... somewhere to train Godwoken. She'd suspected, given the name of 'Academy', but this most certainly confirmed it. She wondered what had happened to it...

The woman continued. "But my worst fears came true when the Black Ring came. I fled here. I made sure the temple was defended and went to the altar. I prayed to Amadia for help, but..." The woman breathed a sigh. "She did not answer. I am not ashamed to say that I hid. There is untold evil in the world and it has reached the island. It seeks the Godwoken who would be Divine. I cannot bear it."

Vael wondered if she meant the Black Ring, or the 'Sallow Man' who led them... Or this God King that he himself seemed to follow. "What will you do now? Where will you go?"

"Go?" The woman shook her head. "There is no go. I belong here. I was Godwoken, but for all the evil in the world, I would not be Divine. I did not search the world for the others of our kind. My place is here. Yours is inside the mountain."

Vael nodded. "To get in we need Amadia's altar. Where is it?"

She pointed, leading Vael's gaze. "Amadia's altar is at the highest point. Climb to the sky and you may find it. But be warned... Amadia rarely answers now. And when she does, she sounds... unwell. May she speak to you with love."

Vael could imagine why the goddess might sound unwell, considering she'd yet to meet a Godwoken for Amadia either... so many of the seven without champions. With the storm cleared and the way pointed out to her, Vael ventured to the altar to learn what she might. A bird flit in the background as she approached the altar. Laying her hand on the weather-beaten stone, she could feel a gentle heat, a sense of warmth and peace filled her.

Vael kneeled, as she'd done for the others, offering a quiet prayer to Amadia. As she whispered the words, she felt the world around her melt away. She opened her eyes to an old log house, a roaring fire, and a door ajar. Vael pushed the door open, stepping through, to find a bedroom, comfortably furnished. In the middle of the bed, wrapped in blankets, is an old, shivering woman. Vael was curious... was this another trick, or another that she simply needed to help...

"It is so good of you to come. I am so proud of what you have accomplished, of the hero you are becoming. You will be at the Well soon, but first I must ask you for help..." Vael was... genuinely shocked. If Amadia wasn't trying to trick her, this was the most forthcoming any of the gods had been since Xantezza, or Zorl-Stissa, once she'd been suitably... convinced. She hadn't really expected it from another of them. It did make Vael suspicious, but... The woman leaned forward, grey hair falling to frame her wrinkled face, and whispered. "I am so, so hungry. I need to feed. I need your Source."

Vael raised a brow at this, but... She pursed her lips and nodded her head. She felt more or less full, she'd had the Shriekers, the Knight... she hadn't had to fuel her Source-based flames in quite some time. She did feel a slight pang of jealousy and... well, hunger, at the thought, but she wasn't sure if that was herself or the Goddess within her. Vael considered, then bowed her head and stepped forward. 

The woman took her into her arms, pulling her close in a warm, soft embrace. Vael almost couldn't help relaxing as her warmth spread through her. Vael could still smell her scent - the smell of home... when she felt claws across her armor. Vael growled- it was the trick after all. She slipped low, feeling claws skitter across her armor as she slid from the woman's embrace. She could feel the barest hint of her Source fading away from her as the woman, now clawed and ferocious, struck out at her again- but she wasn't the only one with claws.

Vael cocked her arm back, as soon as Amadia slipped closer she stepped, putting her weight into the punch- unlike when she'd tried it with Zorl-Stissa, this one connected. It sent the goddess reeling back, collapsing onto her bed as the curtains fell around her. Vael raised her arm, readied for another punch as the bed became bathed in moonlight. As the Goddess stood from the bed and the curtains dropped away, Vael saw her as she really was, her grey hair now streaked with gold. A stony, severe look on her face, like a mother about to scold her child, she began to advance toward the lizard Godwoken.

Vael readied herself to strike again but she felt other hands pulling her back- Zorl-Stissa's hands around her waist. The room around her faded away, the altar returning, a moon emblazoned on the face of it. Vael could sense a sort of... malevolence rising from the altar, and she knew it was likely a bad idea to try to touch it again. She turned away from it, ignoring Ifan's curious stare as she headed back down the steps toward where they'd entered the temple.

Once they were out of earshot of Amadia's knight, Vael glanced toward him. "Some people should learn to accept what is freely given... instead of trying to steal more for themselves."

He raised a brow at that but nodded his head- Vael couldn't see them, but there were eight scratches along the backplate of her armor, all brand new.


	50. Zorl-Stissa

They ventured down from Amadia's temple, back out of the cool skies above and down into the smoky, dry, heated air below. Vael knew where she wanted to go next, Zorl-Stissa's temple. She could feel a sense of anticipation from within, knew it was likely because the goddess wanted to see what state her temple was in, but Vael couldn't help but wonder... the lizard monk from before said it had been overrun, and the other temples in this area hadn't been in particularly good shape either.

They used the pyramids to cross the large gaps created by the collapsing structures, and Vael could feel a growing sense of dread- up ahead, where the temple _should _be... there were only ruins. It seemed like whatever had happened to this area had hit Zorl-Stissa's temple particularly hard. They found a plaque that still stood, expressing the wonders of Zorl-Stissa and her people... but all around them there was only ruin. _'My temple... I had hoped you would see it still intact. Not this... shambles." _Vael frowned as she looked down to the ground. "I'm sorry." She urged Vael to press on. _'We must find the altar. Surely my knight survives...'_

Ifan looked to her with a disappointed frown. "I take it someone isn't happy."

"No, not at all." She shook her head. "Come on, surely there's someone left."

As they traveled up the stairs, up to where the temple had stood... They found nothing. Nothing but purged corpses and ruin and blood where Zorl-Stissa's temple and her defenders had once stood. A Black Ring banner stood planted in the remains of who Vael could only assume had been the Knight or a Priest... a weapon and gold coins lay nearby, cold and silent upon the ground.

A rage that Vael _knew _was not her own began to boil up within her, hot enough that she felt it could rival the lava around them, overwhelming in its intensity. _'Whoever committed this depravity will burn for what they have done!' _The Goddess within her raged, Vael's hand rose unbidden, gesturing to the Black Ring banner. It burst into white-hot flame, the cloth incinerating in an instant, the metal heating until it warped and melted, the skulls within it burst into shards of bone and ash. As the banner cooled into ruined slag, Vael felt the rage inside of her cool as well, replaced by disappointment, sadness and a distinct sense of longing... longing for what had once been.

_'Touch the altar, Vaeltorya. Allow me to speak to you directly once more.' _Vael smirked, wondering how they could speak more 'directly' than this, but she knew what her Goddess meant.

She looked to Ifan, who too had a look of disappointment as he looked around the ruins of the temple, then turned back to the altar. The air thick with flakes of ash from the surrounding lava, the altar itself seemed to radiate heat as she approached. Comforting heat, welcoming heat, the sort that made Vael want to curl up upon the altar and bask in what was offered. She resisted the urge, though, and knelt before the altar. Knowing that it was considered an embarrassment for kin to go down on both knees instead of one, Vael knelt on both... She and Zorl-Stissa had been through much, this far... she wanted to show her Goddess that she really meant to cooperate with her this time if she would allow it... if she would remain worthy of Vael's cooperation. She took up a stance that showed she was ready to show deference... but they both knew that it would only come if it was truly deserved.

As Vael bowed her head and prayed to Zorl-Stissa, she spoke a true prayer. Not the prayer she'd said at the other altars, simply calling to the god to ask for their blessing, a true prayer. Asking for guidance, strength, the ability to see their task through... There was a blinding flash and she was surrounded by flame. It licked her scales but did not burn. It danced among her frills but did not singe. In fact... she felt at peace. Looking up, Vael saw Zorl-Stissa, staring down at her from a throne of embers. Above her rested the emblem of a sun, once aflame but now dim and fading.

She stood from her throne, a look of concern upon her face. "Come now, Vaeltorya... we are beyond that, you and I." She stopped before her champion, her hand coming to rest upon Vael's chin, lifting her up. "My champion does not go down on both knees for anyone. Even me."

Vael smiled slightly, then adjusted her stance so that she was kneeling on one knee. "I thought if we were trying this new... cooperating thing..." She trailed off as she looked up at the Goddess with a smirk. "But as you wish."

Zorl-Stissa returned to her throne, gesturing with a clawed hand as she gave Vael a demure look. "Do not think that I do not appreciate the thought behind it." She pointed toward Vaeltorya. "I know that you still do not trust me, not fully. As I would expect from you, given what you have seen, learned, and what I have done." She placed her hand atop her own chest. "But hopefully, I can earn that from you." She looked around herself, up toward the dim and fading sun that rested over her throne, and Vael could see the hint of worry that tugged at her features. "If I survive long enough, perhaps I could even earn the same from others."

She looked down toward Vaeltorya and extended her claw. "So go, my chosen. Find the Well of Ascension. Do what must be done."

As the vision faded and Vael once more found herself at the altar, faint embers of ash scorching the metal of her armor, she felt Zorl-Stissa slip back into that space within her that the Goddess inhabited. But... she was smaller, now, that tiny bit dimmer than she had been only moments ago. "Was even that so taxing?" She felt a sense of confirmation from within. _'We are so weak now, all of us. The altar helps, but remaining inside of you like this...__' _Vael felt the voice inside of her hesitate. "What? What does it do?" _'I cannot join the others, who even now attempt to feast while they can within the Hall of Echoes. Whatever is draining us has not ceased.__' _Vael's brows knitted together as she considered this. "What does that mean?"

_'With what strength I have given you and my own diminished state, I am weaker than even Tir-Cendelius, with so many of his elves gone. Even those without champions have more strength than I.' _Vael looked to the ground below her. "Why do you do this to yourself?" _'Would you have accepted me if I had done otherwise? Knowing what you do now?' _Vael frowned at that thought, then slowly shook her head. "No, no I wouldn't have." _'That is why.' _

Vael felt a new appreciation for the Goddess within her now that she knew this. She wondered if there might be some way to save her, some way to sustain her. If she was weaker than the others... all of whom had felt so weak when Vael interacted with them that she wasn't sure how one could be weaker than that and survive. "Is there anything I can do?" There was simply silence from within herself. The presence was still there, but she wasn't going to answer that particular question. Vael set her jaw, then pushed herself slowly back to her feet.

Ifan stood nearby, leaning against one of the few remaining pieces of stonework that hadn't been destroyed. "That didn't sound very good."

Vael couldn't bring herself to answer him, simply shaking her head to the negative.

Now that they had finally been to Zorl-Stissa's ruined temple, only one remained: Rhalic, Ifan's god of the Humans. There was only one area of the island that they had not been to yet, as well, the very center... Vael wondered if the location should have been obvious the moment they arrived. Rhalic easily had the most worshippers of all the Gods, was likely the strongest of those who still remained, especially if he had remained in the Hall of Echoes, feasting... Vael was thankful that Ifan was here, could pray the altar in her stead. She hadn't asked him to pray at the others, felt she was better able to handle whatever they would ask of her, but knew he wouldn't want her to pray at his own, and she intended to let him.

As they ventured closer to the center of the island, they came upon a massive battle: Magisters and Black Ring alike, trying to fight over what could only be Rhalic's altar. The area was bathed in flames, smoke, poison clouds, blood, and fallen bodies... They had been fighting hard over this area while Vael and Ifan skirted around it unintentionally. One of the Magisters looked up to them as they approached. "You! Whoever you are! They're trying to destroy the altar! Help us!" Almost as soon as he was done speaking, the man was cut down from behind by the Black Ring.

Vael looked to Ifan, who'd already drawn his crossbow. "We can't let them do that." He raised his bow and fired, his bolt slamming into the one who'd cut down the Magister who'd spoken to them. Vael leaped into the fray after his bolt, joining the Magisters in the defense of Rhalic's altar. She'd never thought she'd fight on their side again, but then again they _really_ needed this altar to not be destroyed.

With backup(of a sort, anyway) now arriving, the Magisters rallied, and with Vael and Ifan's help, defeated and pushed back the Black Ring, who broke and ran when it became obvious the battle was no longer going their way. Vael didn't know where _to _considering they'd wiped out three camps of them at this point, but she supposed they must still have a hidden stronghold somewhere on the island.

As Vael cleaned her blade on one of the corpses, wiping the blood from it, a Paladin walked over toward her. He fished out a canteen of water as he moved, gulping down most of it before splashing blood and grime from his face with the rest. He nodded to Vael, a touch wary. "Many thanks for your help... but who are you?"

Vael squinted at him, near-instantly suspicious. She wondered if this was a test set up by Rhalic, or if he truly wanted to know. She glanced to the Magisters around, most of whom looked just as battle-weary as this Paladin standing before her, then stood tall and decided to answer him truthfully. "We are Godwoken. We have come to this place to fulfill our destiny."

"_Godwoken_? There's only one Godwoken on this island, and it isn't you. I owe you, but it doesn't mean I'll tolerate blasphemy either, understand? Anyway..." He gave her a suspicious look, then shook his head. "If you need shelter, look for the Bishop and the rest of my comrades - they retreated north to our rendezvous point. We'll head there once we've tended to our fallen."

Vael continued squinting, then decided it wasn't worth arguing over. They had an altar to pray at, and then they'd meet with his Bishop soon... And she imagined it wasn't going to be a good meeting, either. Vael looked for a clear spot, then motioned for Ifan to head to the altar. His God, he should be the one to pray.

He gave her a smile, then moved to the altar, kneeling before it. He was there for some time- when he finally stood, no mark appeared upon it, and... he didn't look particularly happy. He looked back to the altar, then to Vael, a heavy frown on his face. "He's not very happy... and he wants to talk to you."

Vael raised a brow curiously at this. The voice from within intoned gravely. _'This isn't good.'_ Vael shook her head. "No, it isn't." She looked up to Ifan. "Did he say why?"

"Not a damn word. Demanded to see you, then left." He took a deep breath, then looked to the altar. "I don't think he intends for you to leave your meeting with him in one piece."

Vael set her jaw and nodded... And she imagined she couldn't count on Zorl-Stissa for any help, either, not as weak as she'd seemed. Vael moved to the altar, where Ifan had just been praying, then took a knee. The altar stood before her, flecked with moss and the cracks of age. An ant crawled across the surface, dipping in and out of the inscription that's engraved on the rock. 'In honor of Rhalic, first of the Gods, and patron of humanity.'

She closed her eyes and muttered a prayer, though it was the most 'because I have to' prayer that she'd uttered yet. As her prayer drifted away on the breeze, she felt the world around her shift. She opened her eyes to a courtyard with wooden targets and practice posts scattered about. As Vael looked around herself, she felt that gentle stirring within. _'Be wary. He will ask a heavy price of you.' _

She nodded her head, then looked to see where Rhalic was. A moment later, she realized that he was not far away from her, ahead of her- he hadn't been there before. He stood as a twisted old man, struggling to heft his own sword. With difficulty he lifted it high, cutting down toward one of the targets, but he missed completely. His sword clanged against the cobbles, slipping out of his hands and skittering toward her. Cursing loudly, he crawled toward her, searching hands running over the stone- he's blind.

Vael squinted and stepped back, her arms crossed in front of herself. She already knew there was some kind of a trick involved, some 'price' that he wanted from her. Considering the act he was putting on, how he was presenting himself... she already thought she knew what it was. He heard her as she stepped back, her armor shifting, and let out a cackle. "One of the others sent you, eh? Sent you to pester a poor man that has lost his sight?"

She growled, tired of playing his game already. She stepped forward, stomping on the hilt of the sword to send it flipping into the air, she caught the blade by the hilt and brought it down, resting it against the side of his neck. "You have something I want, and I am not in any sort of mood to play games with you."

"Is it something you can take from a corpse, girl?" He slowly stood, returning to his feet. Despite the blade at his neck, he was clearly none too impressed- or threatened.

Vael snarled, her teeth bared, and she pressed the sword more harshly against his neck. "I am no _girl_, I am _Godwoken_ and you will treat me with the respect I deserve. You disrespect me, you disrespect my friend, _your own champion_, and you expect me to act any differently?"

He pushed away the blade with a finger like it wasn't even there- Vael struggled, trying to push it back, and the blade vanished, throwing her off balance from where she'd been putting her weight into it, making her stumble. "I don't require much from you. Just a small favor. Well, two, in fact." He turned to her, staring at her despite the lack of eyes beneath his helmet, she could feel his gaze boring into her. "I want your eyes." He smirked. "After all, what is a warrior without their sight? Give me yours." He held out his hand toward her. "I assure you, they will be put to good use in the war against the Void... better use than some girl who thinks too highly of herself could do, anyway."

She snarled again, drawing her own blade from the sheath on her back, leveling it toward him. "How about we duel for them. I win, you tell us your symbol... I lose, you can take them." Vael heard a hiss from within herself, a warning that Zorl-Stissa was too weak to heal her should she lose- if she lost, she would be forced to go without. Vael nodded her head once, then turned her gaze back to Rhalic.

He began to laugh at her, at first in disbelief, then a long, rolling laugh that echoed around the empty courtyard. Then, all at once, he stopped. As he lowered his head from his laughter, she could feel his eyeless gaze boring into her. He extended a hand, his blade returning to it in an instant, in his other, his shield appeared. "You will learn your place, girl. It is beneath the Gods, not beside them." He slowly took a fighting stance. "No matter what the dying snake has told you."

Unlike the others, Rhalic still seemed strong, bright, brilliant in his light. Vael raised her blade all the same, strong and steady, holding it aloft over her head. "Your time is ending, _Rhalic_." She spat his name. "It is time you realized it."


	51. Rhalic

The two combatants circled one another, Vael's blade raised over her head, Rhalic's sword held steady at his side, shield raised and ready. She eyed him up, trying to imagine how he would fight her. Would he come at her with Source? Would he use his blade only? She knew little of how he fought... but she wondered how much he knew of her. How much had he learned from Ifan through their time together? She didn't know, she wondered just how this might actually turn out.

A flash of light off the blade of his sword glinted in her eyes and Vael was momentarily blinded- he took that moment to strike. His blade raised and crashed down, Vael stepped back, deflecting it to the side. His shield drew up, smashing into her chest, driving her back, trying to throw her off balance. She recovered, driving forward, shouldering into his shield. She lowered her blade to her side, stepped back and out of the lunge, drawing it up in front of her to try to cut across him. His own blade met hers, deflecting it, knocking it to the side.

She stepped back from him then, shifting her stance as she watched him circle her. She held her blade horizontally before herself, nice and level, shifting her feet as they circled one another. Her tail flicked behind her, waiting for him to make a move or make a mistake. She saw him drop his shoulder, expecting his sword to swing up, she side-stepped, her own blade slicing across him. His shield deflected up and high, she twisted the blade behind herself, blocking a strike from behind as he attempted to chop into her back.

She spun, bringing herself to face him again, blade held out toward her side at an angle. They circled each other one more, like predators, trying to see who would flinch first, who would strike the first blow, who would be the first to bleed. He lunged for her, sword stabbing forward, she stepped inside the strike, latching his arm against her side. She shifted, pulling him forward with his own momentum, yanked his arm down. As his head jerked downward, she shouldered up, smashing her shoulder pad into his face. He cried out and stumbled back as Vael pulled away, the next she looked she could see glimmering blood shining beneath his visor.

He roared and moved to her again, smashing his blade down, she stepped to the side be he shifted with her, striking out with his shield. It caught her under the chin, smashing her teeth against themselves with a 'clack', cutting her beneath her chin with the edge of his shield. With her thrown off balance from the strike, he stepped forward, his foot between her own, he shouldered her back, trying to knock her over. As she fell, he sliced with his blade, intending to cut across her middle, she managed to bring her blade down just enough to block him, but he caught her across the arm- her armor took the brunt of the impact, but it left her hand stinging with the force of it.

Vael snarled, her anger rising as he'd drawn blood from her. She let it rise and burn, strengthening itself with her Source, but kept it simmering just below the surface. She could feel her chin dripping across her armor, streaking her chestplate red, but his injury did the same. She raised her blade again, over her head, staring him down. She stepped toward him then, bringing her blade down, chopping across him. He deflected her, turned her blade to the side with his shield, but she stepped again, bringing it up and across his body.

Together they danced across the courtyard, Vael's eyes burning with barely-contained rage, his eyeless gaze almost never leaving her. She drove him back, he countered, forcing her to the defensive. She'd turn him, barely avoid a blow, force him to deflect, he would return the favor, force her to do the same. The two of them matched brawn against brawn, skill against skill, for what felt like an eternity. At once, she thought she had him, he misstepped, his footing uneasy beneath him.

She lurched forward, intending to strike him down- it would be easy, a blow across his arm, batter his blade to the side, finish him then- too late she realized it was a feint. As she chopped, he turned himself, side-stepping the blow. As Vael's momentum carried her down, he drew his blade up.

She screamed.

Vael stumbled back, her hand clutching the side of her face. Blood erupted from her ruined eye, staining her claws, her armor, her chestplate, the ground. She held her blade in one hand, the other clutching the ruins of her eye, the sliced-open side of her face.

He cackled again, raising his blade before himself, looking at the blood that decorated the glimmering, ethereal steel. "I told you I would have your eyes, girl... Now let's get that other one."

He drove forward, smashing down upon her again and again and again. Blade and shield, armored fist, even a kick to knock her back. Vael's back crashed into the stone wall behind herself, knocking a practice dummy to the side. She raised her blade to defend herself, trying to deflect his next strike, he knocked it aside easily. He stepped back, holding his blade in both hands, intending to drive for her heart and finish her.

There was a burst of light, a flash of flame, Zorl-Stissa emerged from Vael and slammed into him, forcing him back as he screamed with the heat of her flames. "Vaeltorya! To me!" She burned brilliantly, as bright as Vael had ever seen her, but Vael could feel through their connection that she was weakening quickly.

Vael picked up her blade and rushed to Zorl-Stissa's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her as they faced Rhalic. He spit at the ground, glimmering blood within it. "You _snake!_ I never thought I'd see the day when you'd turn against your own! We were in this together! You'd take her, I'd have him, that was always the deal!"

Zorl-Stissa snarled. "No more, Rhalic. It ends. It's over."

Vael glanced to the side- her right eye destroyed, she could no longer see Zorl-Stissa from that side, but the motion was instinctive.

Rhalic barked a laugh. "You didn't tell her that part, did you? It was your idea from the start!" He raised his shield high, called down a burst of light upon it, leaving it gleaming in the air. He rushed toward them, roaring.

Vael was shaken, she'd never known the two were working together, but she was here now... wasn't she? She couldn't think about it, couldn't dwell on it. Zorl-Stissa had learned from Vael in the time they were bonded and Vael from her, they worked in unison, blocking blows, ducking each other as they danced and swung and fought. Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, Rhalic lost ground. Forced back as the two lizards drove him onward, step by step, back toward the wall.

It was Vael's blade that struck the final blow. Zorl-Stissa battered him, forcing shield to drop, blade to the side. Vael stepped in, armored gauntlet crashing into his face, disorienting him momentarily. She stepped back, leveled her sword, stabbed it forward. He screamed as her blade pierced his side- in an instant, he was gone.

Vael spun, looking for him, found him standing once more in the middle of the courtyard. His eyes restored, she could see them boring into her beneath his helmet, his armor pierced along his side, more of his glimmering blood dripping down, running in streamers down his leg. Zorl-Stissa stood at Vael's side, but her breathing was ragged and Vael could tell her strength was failing.

He leveled his blade at her. "I will see you again. I will have the other eye."

The vision faded around her as she slammed back into the world, screaming as she raised her hand to her eye. Ifan hadn't moved from where he'd been, he reacted as soon as he saw what had occurred. As Vael fell back, she saw a sun emblazoned upon Rhalic's altar.

"Vael! By the Seven, what happened to you?" Ifan held her head up with one hand, the other pushing her gauntleted hand to the side so he could see what happened. "You kneeled, I heard a prayer, then your face sliced open and you fell back."

She slowly shook her head, gritting her teeth against the pain. "Rhalic!", she snarled. "He wanted my eyes."

"Well damnit Vael, it looks like he got one." He moved her hand to the side again and covered her ruined socket with his own. He closed his eyes, breathing quietly as he worked his Source upon her.

Magisters rushed in, most had retreated from the immediate vicinity of the altar after the battle but came running back at Vael's scream. They saw Ifan working Sourcerey upon her and hesitated, asking each other what to do- she expected they hadn't imagined they'd run into non-Black Ring Sourcerers here of all places. Vael could hear mutterings under their breath 'they really are Godwoken', 'Sourcerers!', among others.

Then Ifan's Sourcery sank into her ruined socket, healing it, and Vael screamed. It burned like nothing she'd ever felt before, her feet kicked, claws scratching at the stone, as she struggled beneath his hand. She did her best to keep herself still, but it was a harsh struggle. Finally, he was finished, pulling his bloody hand away.

"I can't restore your eye, I'm not good enough for that." He shook his head as he looked down at her. "I'm sorry, Vael."

"No. You did what you could." She sucked in a sharp breath as she sat up, looking at the Magisters around them. Some looked as if they were about to draw their blades, she snarled at them, fire erupting around her hands, they turned and ran back toward the north, toward their camp... where Vael knew Alexandar waited.

She tried to force herself to calm, closing her eye- she needed to check, needed to see... She reached down inside of herself to where Zorl-Stissa was, and for a moment panic... felt nothing. Then, she realized, she hadn't gone deep enough, Zorl-Stissa had retreated down inside of her... so far down. 'Please, please, please still be there...' She breathed softly under her breath, her chest heaving.

Then, she found her. So small, almost spent. The Goddess within her guttered like an almost-spent flame upon a candle that had very nearly burnt out. _'There is so little of me left.' _Her voice was quiet, too quiet. Vael felt tears spring to her eyes, even her ruined socket managing to weep. "Please, tell me there's something I can do."

No reply came, but Vael felt herself turning, her head shifting until her good eye fell upon the bodies of the fallen from the battle between the Magisters and the Black Ring. And their spirits. Vael froze as she realized. _'I cannot ask you to do this.' _Vael set her jaw, her face hardening. "You don't have to."

She slowly pushed herself to her feet- Ifan stood beside her, looking to Vael, following her gaze until he realized what she was doing- her hand already glowed with the silvery wisps of Source. "Vael-" He held out a hand toward her. "Vael, you can't do this."

She looked toward him, openly weeping. "Ifan... she saved me. She is _dying._" She looked toward the Black Ring spirits, resolute. She would only take the worst of them.

He reached out, his hand gripping around her arm. "Vael, they're _all _dying. Would you become like them to _save_ one of them?" He looked toward her, held out his hand toward the spirits she'd targetted. "These are their souls you're talking about. You would destroy them. Utterly. You would be just as bad as them."

She put her face in her hands, covering both eyes, ruined and not. "Ifan, what do I do... I'm losing her."

He reached out, placing his hand upon her shoulder. "Surely there's another way."

"If there is, I don't know it." She lowered her hands from her face looked toward him with her good eye, pleading with him. "I have to do something. If I don't, she's lost."

He shook his head. "I can't let you do this. You're better than this. Don't doom them to save someone whose time is already up."

She forced herself to straighten, both hands at her sides, standing to her full height. _'He's right. Don't compromise who you are to save me.' _Her voice was so weak, it broke Vael's heart to see it. Vael closed her eye, trying to force herself to calm. "Maybe... maybe we can do something at the Well." She opened her eye, staring at Ifan. "We don't have to take all of it at once, do we? We could... we could spare some, for her?"

He looked to the ground, thinking hard, then back up to Vael. "But who takes from it? Who ascends, in the end?"

She realized they'd never truly decided, never truly talked about it. "I... I don't know, Ifan. I ..." She stammered, trying to put her thoughts into words. "If... if it means that you agree to save her." She swallowed hard. "Then it can be you. You can ascend."

He slowly relaxed where he stood, looking toward her. "You mean it? Just like that?"

Vael nodded her head once. "If you will save her, you can ascend. I'll give it up freely." _'Don't do this. You need to save our people.' _Vael growled. "If you're still alive, you can do the saving."

Ifan looked toward her, his face set. "Okay."

Vael breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "But, Ifan... you have to know. When you ascend, Rhalic will try to take you. He'll try to claim you for himself. You need to be ready."

His eyes widened as he stared at her. "What?"

"He told us. When we were fighting him." She neglected to mention that it was apparently Zorl-Stissa's idea in the first place, and the small, diminishing presence inside of her radiated shame. "Whoever's Godwoken ascended would be absorbed and they were going to split the power, he and her."

Ifan snarled. "That son of a bitch." He looked to the ground, then back to Vael. "Alright. If I'll truly be as strong as they've suggested all along, now that I know..." He looked to her, and Vael felt like she'd restored some of the trust she'd lost by not telling him about Zorl-Stissa before. "Vael... thank you."

She breathed a quiet sigh and barked a laugh. "I'm covering my hide as much as yours... I'm sure I'd be the first one he killed if his plan worked."

Ifan nodded, then looked off toward the north. "We still have unfinished business with Alexandar."

Vael pursed her lips as she looked to him worriedly. "Do we have time?"

He set his jaw, then looked back to Vael. "If we kill him... you can have him." He motioned toward her with a shift of his head. "For her. For Zorl-Stissa."

Vael thought for a moment, then nodded once. "If anyone deserves it, it's him."

He grinned that wolfish smile of his. "That he does. Come on, Alexandar pays for what he's done today."


	52. Loose Ends

The two of them rushed north as quickly as their legs would take them. Vael stumbled a few times, still not used to her lack of depth perception, but for the most part, she managed to keep up with him as Ifan led. She couldn't believe how stupid she'd been... But, at the same time, what else could she have done? He'd have taken both of her eyes if she'd let him, but maybe Zorl-Stissa could have healed her if he had... Now she was dying, Vael's plans thrown into disarray. Ifan would ascend, her chance to save her people, lost... but if she could save her people's Goddess... if she truly had turned over a new leaf... maybe that would be worth it.

Their pounding feet carried them up into the elven temple, past the guards, past the lizard monk who even now stared at Vael in awe despite her ruined eye. Higher and higher they ascended, of course Alexandar would be at the highest point... Why would he be anywhere else? As they came into view they found the Magisters from Rhalic's temple, Alexandar's own guards; Paladins and Magisters both stood around the Bishop. 

As they approached, a Magister woman held out her hand for them to stop. "_Halt! _Whoever you are, I suggest you back away, before..."

Alexandar spoke up from the back. "Stand down, Magister Roe. These are... _old acquaintances_, shall we say. Let them approach."

"I... yes my Lord, of course." The Magister woman shot them one last look before she backed away from the pair.

Vael growled softly under her breath and took several steps toward Alexandar before Ifan caught her by the shoulder. "Wait, Vael. You know how long I've sought Alexandar, _we've_ sought Alexandar... Let me speak to him first."

She stopped and planted her feet, then breathed out a quiet sigh. "Right. I got... overeager."

He nodded his head, then stepped in front of her. Paladins and Magisters both stared at him suspiciously as he marched up to the Bishop, staring the other man straight in the eyes. Ifan strode forward, all at once he feinted a punch at Alexandar's nose with his right hand. As the Divine Bishop raised his hands to protect himself, Ifan grasped both of his wrists and headbutted him.

Vael heard steel ring as swords were pulled from sheaths and spells readied, she snarled and lifted her blade, fire springing to her hands, heat radiating from her hot enough to scorch the nearest paladin. "_The first one to move dies!"_, she roared.

Alexandar staggered back, blood streaming from his nose. Ifan tightened his grip on Alexandar's wrists and spit a question at the Bishop. "Why? _Why _did you and Lucian send me on a suicide mission to kill the elves? _Why _did you lie to me?"

Alexandar wrenched his hands free from Ifan's grasp and held his broken nose, blood streaming between his shaking fingers. "Why? The same reason we did everything... to protect the realm. What price all of Rivellon against just one portion? Any Divine would do the same... if it meant saving _everything. _You should be proud my father picked you - his best right-hand man. He knew you would make it. But he also knew that if he told you the truth, you would falter. He knew you well, Ifan. He knew _you'd _have to be tricked. But _I'm _his son. I can be trusted to the end. And I will take any actions necessary, for the good of all. Nothing can stop me... not even death!"

Ifan stepped back, drawing his crossbow as he did. His hands were steady, calm and controlled as can be. "Death stops everyone eventually. You rose from the dead once. You won't rise _this _time." Ifan's crossbow fired.

All hell broke loose.

Alexandar staggered back, blood streaming from his nose and blossoming from his chest. Paladins and Magisters alike cried aloud in horror as their 'Divine' Bishop fell. Vael screamed in rage unleashed as she finally watched the man responsible for their imprisonment fall. Ifan dicked a Magister's spell, a Paladin's arrow. He retreated to Vael, pressed up against her side. "On your right!"

They turned together, fought together, as one, as they had done all this time. Vael stepped, swung her blade at charging Paladins and Magisters alike. Ifan's crossbow fired, again and again. Mages, archers, all fell beneath his hail of bolts. He cried 'duck' whenever something approached from Vael's blindside, keeping her safe, and she defended him from every attack that made it close. The flames that radiated from her in her seething rage burned everyone- everyone but him. They all fell, every one of them. Beneath blade and bolt and flame, until there were none remaining. An arrow lodged in Vael's shoulder, a slice across one of Ifan's legs, giving him a limp... but only they remained when all fell quiet once again.

The silence was broken by Ifan's voice as he turned to look to Vael. "_Alexandar_ knew. _Lucian _knew." She shook his head as he moved to Vael, she could feel his healing work as he pulled the arrow from her shoulder, just below her shoulder pad. "I was nothing but a pawn." Vael winced as he tugged the arrow free. Once he was finished with her, he turned to his leg, the split in his armor obvious, but nothing that couldn't be patched with a big needle and thick thread.

He looked to Vael as he finished. "You know as I do that this world is better off without Alexandar. Power truly corrupted him, just as it did Lucian."

Vael nodded her head, breathing a quiet sigh of relief... but her eyes kept drifting to the defeated-looking spirit of the Bishop standing not far away from the two of them. "I truly hope the power we seek never corrupts either of us like that."

"We'll have to see, won't we?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "We'll have to see."

Vael pushed past him toward Alexandar's spirit, standing and watching the two of them, looking bitterly dejected. "My journey has ended, but the world still needs a Divine." He looked toward her and Ifan, no doubt wondering which of them it would be. "Do you know how to enter the Council yet?"

Vael nodded her head once. "We do. You were the last stop." She spat on the ground next to his body. "A speedbump, more like it."

He stared flatly at her. "I hope I meet whoever took your eye in the Hall of Echoes someday. I would like to thank him."

Vael smirked at him. "Oh, you won't get that chance." She started to raise her hand, he looked down at her and then shook his head quickly.

"Wait! Wait! Before..." He looked to his corpse. "Take my cowl. Find the Sallow Man."

Vael snarled at him. "Why?"

"Because I am gone and I will not have the chance to do it myself. He is a far greater evil than you know." He pointed at his corpse. "There is a cave in the southeast of the island somewhere. You will need my cowl to see the entrance. Take it. End him, as you did me."

Vael nodded once. "As you wish." She stepped back, raising his hand toward him. "That doesn't change what's about to happen, though." She reached out for him as she snarled. Some tiny amount of payback for all the lives ruined at his hand, families torn apart, Sourcerers turned into twisted creatures and broken abominations. The strands of silver Source from Vael's hand connected to his spirit and began to draw him in.

Vael directed it downward, every tiny fraction of it, saving none at all for herself. Alexandar's spirit was strong, despite his multiple deaths... but she knew he would not return from this one. She closed her eye as her spell sucked him in, fed the Goddess within her. She felt Zorl-Stissa brightening, by the time it was done, by the time he was finally gone, she was bright enough to feel without having to search the deepest depths within herself. There was a final, satisfying lurch and the spell was done. Alexandar was gone.

Vael breathed a quiet sigh of relief. 'Please tell me that was enough,' she muttered. She closed her eye once more, listening, praying for a reply. _'It was enough... for now. Thank you, my chosen. I am still fading, but I will survive the day.' _Vael swallowed hard, nodding her head. "The day. We bought you a single day."

Ifan looked toward her. "That's it? Alexandar only bought her a day?"

Vael nodded her head slowly. "There's... another." She looked up toward him, opening her eye. "The Sallow Man. He's here, on the island."

"The leader of the Black Ring?" Ifan cracked his knuckles, growling. "Then let's go get the bastard."

Vael gave him a hopeful smile. "I was hoping you'd say something like that. Alexandar said he was somewhere in the southeast of the island, in a cave. I think I saw something like that when we were looking down from the Gate."

Ifan nodded, and Vael led the way once again.

It didn't take them long to find the path out of the Elven temple, to the Lunar Gate, and onward. They traveled down, past the Watcher. The skeletal woman raised a hand to them in recognition as they passed by. "I can tell he's gone! Thank you for releasing him!" Vael waved as they passed, the pair in too much of a hurry for anything else.

The cave was guarded by a massive troll. As they approached, he roared- Vael roared back at him, leaped at him- her blade pierced up through his throat, deep into his skull. He collapsed. "Let's see you regenerate from that." He didn't stir.

They pushed inside of the cave itself, staring around them. The floor streaked with trails of blood, the walls bare... only a single, empty altar rested at the end of the hall. Vael scowled, looked down at the cowl she'd taken from Alexandar's body back where he'd fallen. She slowly put it on over her head, wrapping the band around her neck... as soon as it was on, she realized the wall behind the altar was fake- an illusion. She let out a quiet little 'huh' and looked back to Ifan... then stepped through the wall.

She heard a noise of surprise from him, then as she looked back, his hand poked through the wall, then an arm, then a foot. She reached forward and pulled him through, he opened his eyes and looked around. They stood inside a massive, smoke-filled cave. Lava bubbled and boiled from the depths within, it reminded Vael quite a bit of Duna's temple but was so much less... ornate. It was also almost completely empty... Apparently, they had done a real number on the Black Ring's forces on the island.

As they headed down, down toward the center of the room- Vael saw him. The Sallow Man. The creature she'd seen in the black mirror. She didn't give him time to scream, time to react, time to cast a spell. She ran down the slope toward him, charging blade first. Ifan stayed on the high ground, peppering the forces on the ground around them with bolt after bolt. The Sallow Man fought with tooth and claw and spell, Vael met him with rage, blade, and fire.

He wore no armor, used no weapon, perhaps expecting that he would never be in a fight like this. Every blow Vael landed, even those she didn't, cost him dearly, burning him, slicing deep into him. It didn't surprise her when he fell. But when he did... There was a ghostly scream, chains descended from portals above, dragging him slowly back up. He screamed out to her. "_I AM THE RIGHT HAND OF THE KING." _

Vael thought the right hand of the king should have put on some armor. The moment he rose again; before he could act, Vael ran him through. Her blade stabbed through his chest, out of his back... when he fell a second time, he did not rise again. When the Black Ring saw their leader fall and stay down, those few that Ifan hadn't cut down turned and ran, deeper into the recesses of the cave.

The Sallow Man's spirit, freshly risen from his corpse, glared at Vael. He leered at her. She could feel his hate, his rage, his blinding thirst for blood. _Her _blood. He reached out to her mind... and failed. He had no power now. No power that he could use... but he had power _Vael_ could use. She raised her hand, glaring at him, thin silvery wisps of source dangling from her fingers. As he realized what she was doing, what was happening, she saw a new expression on his face: fear. As the wisps connected her to him, as he began to drain away, be drawn deep into Vael to nourish the dying goddess within, he released one last scream of rage... and then he was gone.

He was almost as strong as Alexandar, almost as nourishing, and Vael felt the presence within her grow stronger still. _'I cannot... I cannot thank you enough, my chosen. I am renewed, for now... I feel almost strong enough to be comfortable again. A few days, a few precious days...'_

Vael looked toward Ifan and nodded her head slowly. "We have time. We can face the Academy, the Council now."

He looked around the cave that surrounded them, Black Mirrors hanging from nearly every available surface and nodded his head. "Good. This place gives me the creeps."


	53. The Lunar Gate

Vael and Ifan left the cave, leaving the rest of the Black Ring to cower in the depths. Without their leadership nor most of their forces, she imagined they wouldn't be much of a threat any longer. As they exited back into the cave and out into the sun, Vael looked up with a quiet little sigh. Starting to get late in the day, she knew it wouldn't be much longer before night fell. But they were on a bit of a clock and maybe they could take shelter in the academy for the evening.

They climbed the slopes one last time, heading up toward the Lunar Gate where they'd be able to put in the code so they could enter the Academy, the Council, whatever it called itself. Vael had found an interesting object on the desk near the Sallow Man, some kind of... Well, she didn't know what it was, but it looked magical and quite a lot like a key of some kind. It sparked at her whenever she jostled it, but seemed safe enough to touch, so she'd hooked it onto her belt to carry it with them.

The gate itself loomed ahead of them as they stepped onto the plateau one last time. Vael looked to Ifan, she was glad he tended to stand over her left shoulder or she wouldn't be able to see him anymore and offered him a little smile. "Well, this is it, huh? Once we go in... I think this might just be it." She looked back to the gate, placing her hands on her hips as the setting sun illuminated it from behind her. "You'll be divine..."

She looked down at the ground with a quiet little sigh. Somewhere deep within herself, she'd hoped it'd be her. Maybe the greedy, jealous part that had simply wanted the strength, maybe the part of her that was bound with Zorl-Stissa who still coveted the power, she didn't know. She felt the quiet, gentle uncoiling from within as her weakened Goddess stirred. _'When I am restored, I will help you heal your eye. I would do it now, but I am far too weakened.' _Vael nodded once, then looked back to Ifan. He'd been oddly silent.

When he noticed her looking, he shifted his gaze from the gate to her. "Just thinking. I didn't expect..." He shook his head. "I don't know what I'll do with it."

"Heading to Arx to stop the Deathfog would be a great idea," Vael offered.

He smiled at her. "Yeah, that it probably would."

She looked around to the statues of the Gods and shook her head. "Anyway, let's see if any of this actually still works."

The two of them went to each of the Gods' pillars in turn. Xantezza, moon. Tir-Cendelius, moon. Vrogir, sun. Rhalic, sun. Amadia, moon. Duna, moon. And finally, last but not least... Zorl-Stissa, sun. There was a soft, quiet rumble from beneath their feet as the last statue shifted into place and Vael looked to the door. She'd expected it to simply pop open, but there was still a barrier covering the door that needed to be removed. Vael frowned, wondering what they might have missed, then reached down to feel the thing on her belt. She couldn't see it, she'd put it on the right side of her belt, but as she unclipped it and brought it into view she looked down at it, running her clawed fingers over the surface.

"This looks like it might be a key of some kind... Maybe it fits into the door." She looked up toward it, pursing her lips as she considered it. Near the door was a lever, maybe what they'd have to pull to get it to open, and an odd plate. There was a spark of lightning emblazoned on it in a glowing rune, Vael wondered... She turned the thing in her hands over, looking for any indication that she might be right, and on the bottom of it, hidden between a bit of dust and grime thanks to the countless years since it'd been created, she found a similar bolt.

She showed what she'd found to Ifan, who'd been studying the gate himself, then gestured to the detritus-covered plate near the lever. "Think this might open it up?"

"Well, if it doesn't, we can always try something else right?" He shrugged once. "Might as well."

Vael looked back to the plate, then reached out to place the thing on top of it. It proved not to be a key at all... in fact, it was some kind of battery. As she set it down, sparks already reaching out between the plate and the thing they'd found, tickling her fingers, the lever 'clicked' and twitched and seemed to come to life. Vael reached out for it, feeling little sparks dancing across her scales and her armor as she wrapped her hands around it, then gave it one good, solid tug.

The barrier behind them crackled and sparked as it disappeared, finally revealing the door to the Academy. Vael had almost expected more fanfare, something to happen, a huge troll to drop on their heads and force a fight... but nothing like that happened. Just a simple, stone door waiting for them to enter. She looked back to Ifan with another smile. "Here goes nothing, right...?" She moved to step through, then stopped. "Actually..."

Vael stepped to the side and motioned for him to step through. "You're ascending, you go first."

He walked up toward her, giving her a smile, then all at once he wrapped his arms around Vael and squeezed her tight, making her armor creak. He pulled back, then clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Vael. I know this can't be easy."

She shrugged her shoulders with a sort of sad smile. "It's what needs to be done."

Ifan stepped through, leaving Vael alone. She looked up toward the door, then back out across the island one more time. _'You're doing the right thing.' _Vael smirked. "Of course you'd say that, considering the stakes for you if I don't. But... I know. He'll make a good divine."

She looked to the doors, then stepped through after Ifan with a smile.

When Vael entered, she found herself standing within a massive hall. It was decorated like much of the rest of the island was, the same stonework that they'd seen elsewhere, the same pillars that stood tall over various points of the island with their carved crystals embedded within them, but everything here was that little bit more... clean. There was still rubble and dust, just not quite as much as they were accustomed to seeing.

But as they ascended the steps into the hallway proper and looked ahead of themselves, they realized that standing before them was, of all things, a Voidwoken. Vael frowned, looking ahead to where Ifan waited. He stood with crossbow drawn, but he hadn't attacked it yet, nor it him. Vael readied her blade on her shoulder and stepped forward, pointing toward it. "What's with that thing?"

"I don't know." He glanced aside to her, then back to it. "It was just... standing there. I was waiting for you."

"Should we ... talk to it?"

"Well we need to get around it one way or another, it's in front of the door." He pointed to the stonework behind it.

Vael realized he was right, of course, but what could the Voidwoken want with them? She didn't know, but she was curious to find out. As Vael walked closer to it, the Voidwoken stared intently right back. It most certainly seemed different than the others - it swayed with sinewy purpose; intelligence glinted in its eyes. It certainly didn't look or act like the more 'animalistic' Voidwoken that had been hunting them the entire time. As Vael drew closer, it began to talk to her. And not in the deep, gravelly voice that she was used to coming from these things... it spoke with its own, hissing voice. She'd never expected them to be able to speak, but for some reason, it didn't surprise her as much as it once might have.

"Step back, _hunola_! The time of mortals draws to a close. We have returned to claim what is ours. We have returned to claim the world." The creature couldn't help but hissing at them once it had spoken, but Vael recognized that word- from where, she wasn't sure, but she knew it meant 'thief'.

She crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at it. "Why do you call us thieves?"

"All mortals are thieves! You have stolen our world. All the world is ours!"

Vael was starting to get the idea. It almost felt _too _obvious, but at the same time... she thought it made a lot of sense. All the pieces had been there all along, what the other Voidwoken had said when they'd met them, what they'd heard from Aetera... "The world cannot belong to the Void, creature." She was testing it, wondering if it would reply how she thought it would...

"We are not the Void, mortal. We are of the world. _You _are of the Void." And there it was, what Vael had thought. If the Gods really had taken what Aetera said they had - if Vael was putting the pieces together in her mind correctly.

She looked down at the ground before herself. "It's right, isn't it?" There was a long moment of hesitation before the answer came. _'Yes.' _

She looked up toward the creature and then to what she felt was its surprise... she nodded.

It spoke again. "When we were banished, you were made. You owe your entire existence to us. You _owe _us everything." It hissed at her as it spoke, clearly not pleased even though she understood.

"We don't owe you anything, the Gods made us... But I suppose you're not technically _wrong_." She heard a noise from behind herself and looked back to Ifan.

"You're not agreeing with this thing, are you?" He stared at her in confusion.

"Ifan, you know it as well as I do. You've been there, right alongside me, the whole time. It's not wrong, mostly. It's telling the truth." Vael looked back toward the creature, annoyed that she had to turn her head more than she was used to in order to do so. "Even though I cannot agree with its methods or what it's kind have done."

Ifan went quiet, seemingly putting the pieces together himself.

The creature stood up slightly taller on its hind legs. "We were betrayed by the Seven usurpers. They took our powers and used them to create you. They sent us to the Void and thought we'd never return. They were wrong. And now they will face the wrath of the king."

Vael felt Zorl-Stissa shrink back a fraction within herself, especially at the mention of the 'King'... In her weakened state, Vael could most certainly imagine why. She was keeping quiet, but then again Vael didn't exactly think it was the best of ideas to tell this Voidwoken that one of the Seven was here... after a fashion. Not after what had happened in poor Meistr Siva's basement. "You know you can't return. Even if you aren't _of _the Void... you bring it with you. It destroys everything, corrupts everything... You'd kill us all."

The creature snarled. "You left us no choice. We had no other tools. We shall return and then we shall cast out the Void. Do not resist us. We shall be who we once were and the world shall be restored to what it was - _before we were betrayed._"

Vael sighed softly as she looked at the thing. As strange as it was, she could sympathize with it to some degree... But that didn't mean she had to allow what it wanted to come to pass. "We didn't have anything to do with any betrayal. You'd kill us all for something that we had nothing to do with."

"Because of that betrayal, you exist. Because of what was stolen from us, you exist. Because of the powers we lost, you exist. We will have them back. But we will not fight your husk, mortal. The time will come when the thieving coward inside of you must step out. If it can still walk!" The thing stared directly at Vael... but it wasn't looking at her. It was looking at someone else entirely.

The presence inside of Vael went cold and Vael herself felt her eye widen as she realized it had known she was there all along.

The Voidwoken finally looked up to Vael herself. "You shall end then." It slithered past Vael, brushing past her with more than a little malice... but Vael stumbled to the side, allowing it to leave.

She looked back to Ifan and she imagined the worry on his face was mirrored in her own. "I didn't realize quite _how _much they knew..."

"I still can't believe that you were agreeing with that thing." He looked back to where it had disappeared. "If you were right - if they return... we all die."

Vael nodded once as she looked at him. "That's why it's so important that you hold them back when you ascend."

Ifan ran his hands through his beard. "Progress is the annihilation of one way of life for another. I guess _we're _progress... And we can't let them come back."

She smiled at the fact that he seemed to understand quite well. "Exactly." She reached out for him and as he came closer, she rested her hand on his shoulder- and the two of them walked into the academy proper together.


	54. The Academy

They emerged into a large set of rooms and hallways, wide open ahead of them in a long hallway, a closed door to their right and left, and the entrance behind. The left door proved to be locked, and they without a key- and Ifan wasn't optimistic about his chances of picking an ancient Eternal lock. To the right, however, opened into a room- It looked like it may once have been the 'Council' chambers they kept hearing about, but now it was an empty room, filled with corpses and spirits.

Vael stared around herself, looking at the spirits who stared back at them- they seemed keenly aware of the presence of the two of them. "What _happened _here? They're all... dead."

Ifan looked around at all the spirits - then their bodies and the cups that lingered suspiciously near them. He kicked one of the cups, setting it rolling slowly across the floor. "Poison, if I had to guess."

"But why?" Vael looked to the spirits, one at a time. They seemed... resigned, angry maybe, but also... eager, in some ways. Maybe they were just glad to have company again.

Vael stepped up to the one closest to her, a lizard woman. She hadn't realized before, but the woman was weeping profusely... maybe still upset by her death? The woman looked up to Vael, moist-eyed. "Godwoken... can it be true? _Am I dead?!_"

Vael nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss, but you are."

The spirit's distraught expression slid away in an instant, revealing that of a highly-composed - and thoroughly unimpressed - lizard spirit. "Well, at least you tried."

Vael frowned curiously at that. "What, er..."

"Time for a lesson in finesse, I think. I'll have my work cut out for me with you."

Ifan burst into laughter from behind Vael. "Finesse!? Her? You'll have better luck teaching a hammer."

Vael flushed beneath her scales and looked back at him- but he was standing on her blind side, much to her frustration - "Yes, thank you Ifan. A lady does like being compared to a hammer."

She jumped slightly as she felt his hand clap on her shoulder where she couldn't see. "You are the best hammer I have ever known, and that's a fact."

The lizard spirit looked between the two of them, her composed expression betraying the slightest hint of shock. "Maybe a lesson in finesse for _both _of you."

Vael slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry, maybe another time. What... what happened here, though? How did you all die?"

The spirit's composure gave way to a flash of anger. She spat out a name. "_Lucian."_

Vael looked back to Ifan with surprise - still standing on her blind side, though. "Lucian?"

She nodded. "Our finest pupil, the Divine himself, came to us here under the guise of friendship. Then, at this very table, he _poisoned_ us." The woman sighed softly. "I won't pretend to know why - the Divine answers to no-one. Either way, he seemed intent on sabotaging the path of his successors." She looked up to Vael and Ifan. "But now you are here, Godwoken. And that means there's still hope."

Vael looked up to her and held up a hand, turning back to Ifan- the correct way this time, so she could actually see him. "Why... We knew he had fallen, with the Deathfog, but... _outright murder_, cold-blooded, of _his own teachers_? Why? Why would he do this?"

Ifan looked up to her, his face set firmly. "The _'Divine' _killed far more than Godwoken. He wasn't worthy of the name."

Vael looked around herself, looked at the room, all the dead teachers, all the cups of poison. "This is... this is so much more than that. This wasn't to 'save the realm'. This was personal. To come here, to kill... everyone. His friends, his teachers, the other Godwoken, to put out a bounty on us... There's something here we aren't seeing, Ifan. We need to find out."

Vael explored the room, feeling the stares of the dead teachers' spirits upon her the whole time. They all seemed to want to impart another lesson, but Vael's curiosity wouldn't be denied. There was another lightning-plate in the back of the room, but conveniently another of those odd batteries rested on the teachers' table. Whoever'd removed it hadn't taken it very far.

"It seems like whatever sabotage he'd hoped to do had been done very haphazardly... maybe he was in a hurry?" She glanced to Ifan, who was thankfully now standing where she could see him. "I can't imagine what for..." She paused for a moment. "Do you think... the island? We had so many blocked paths, if we didn't have the teleporter pyramids we would have been stuck here for far longer."

"I don't know. But I wouldn't put it past him." Ifan shook his head.

_'If he is responsible for the destruction of my temple...'_ The Goddess hidden away within Vael seethed. Vael could entirely understand how she felt.

Vael replaced the odd battery on the pad, a nearby... thing, machine, she wasn't sure, lit up and began to project a beam back across the room to what looked like some kind of reflector panel. The panel had been turned the wrong way, but all Vael had to do was reach up and adjust it back and the beam continued on through another room. "He must have been in a hurry... or had very low expectations for what another Godwoken would have been able to accomplish if this was his idea of 'sabotage'..."

They couldn't follow the beam as it was, but they _could _see that it entered another room through a crack in the wall. This appeared to be a large library, but they'd have to progress deeper in if they wanted to access it. They passed another of those large pillars of light, and what appeared to be a construct of some kind, but it lay on the floor, inactive. There was a large inscribed panel on the wall.

"Vael, I can't read this." Ifan looked back toward her. "Can you?"

She moved over toward the inscribed panel and started to translate it. "I can. It means something about 'In the footsteps of the Eternals...'" She knew just the someone who might be able to provide a little more insight. "Well?" _'It means that you follow in our footsteps. As we ascended with the use of Source, so can you.' _Vael frowned just a little bit. "Surely there's more to it." _'All in good time.'_

She looked toward Ifan and nodded her head. "It does mean what we think it means. Ascending to Divinity, just as they did. Except..." Vael looked toward the end of the hall, where she seemed to be drawn. "If what we've been told is true, we would have more strength than they." The voice within spoke up once more. _'You are correct. We each gave up half our strength to empower Lucian. The remnants, more strength than even he possessed, are what remains within the Well._'Vael looked toward Ifan with a little smile. "Seems like you'll be even stronger than he was."

Ifan gave a somber look in return. "Oh, good."

As they crossed the hall and into another room, Vael's eye lit up at the sight. "A library! Oh, Gods, what I wouldn't give for the ability to spend days in here... imagine the wealth of knowledge..." Her voice trailed off as she realized that what she'd thought was simple debris was instead the remnants of the library. Hundreds, _thousands_ of smashed tablets scattered across the floor, the shelves almost empty. Vael's hands shook as she clenched them together into fists, the anger within her rising quickly. _"Lucian! _This is unforgivable!" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Untold years of knowledge! Smashed! How _could _he?"

"If he wanted to prevent anyone from following behind him... This was as good a way as any." Ifan didn't seem to quite _understand _why she was so angry... but he definitely sympathized.

Vael hurried from shelf to shelf, checking to see if anything survived. Some tablets remained hidden away in corners, here and there... but Lucian had been rather thorough. She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't... Such willful destruction of history! _Our _history! His own history!" She rushed to and fro, collecting what few scant tablets she could. By the time she'd checked all the visible shelves, she held only a few of them, hardly a handful. She stared down at them, she couldn't believe this was all that was left. "Can..." She looked up to Ifan. "Can we take rubbings? So they might be preserved?"

He gestured toward her. "If you think we have the time."

Vael nodded and hurriedly moved off to one of the desks. Thankfully the tablets were extremely easy to imprint from - she guessed that the ease with which she was able to do this might have been intended in their design, and she quickly took rubbings of what she'd found. There were scant few, so it was a quick process, and Lucian hadn't thought to burn the loose parchment in the library. "Thank you, Ifan. Maybe..." She slowly rolled up what she'd done and placed them into her pack. "Maybe something can be preserved."

He gave her a small smile. "Maybe." He pointed toward the back. "While you were working I looked around a bit. There's a door back there that won't open. Shocks you if you try."

As they spoke, a spirit walked past the two of them. "I should check on the Chancellor..."

Vael watched the spirit move, then looked to Ifan. "I imagine he might have an idea."

They followed the spirit around the room- he stood on a pressure plate, pressed a button, shifted one of the triangular tablets that littered the library - waiting to be inscribed with the knowledge that would never come, now - which seemed to be part of the switch, then walked to the end of the room and pulled on the right lever. Vael mimicked his movements, and the door Ifan mentioned popped open.

Vael spotted bookshelves, she rushed in ahead of Ifan, almost stumbling on the stairs up - still not used to her lack of depth perception - but she was disappointed when all these, too, had been smashed. All except one tablet, resting on the Chancellor's desk. Vael quickly skimmed it, it confirmed what they'd been told by Aetera, what they'd known since back in Driftwood... what had caused Vael to give up. That the Gods fed upon them after they died, consumed their souls. "So it seems we're not the only ones to find out..." Vael paused, passing the tablet to Ifan so he could read. "In case you had any lingering doubts."

Ifan read through it quickly, then, at the end, he pointed out something Vael hadn't noticed. At the end of the tablet, it was signed with a single letter. An L. He looked up to Vael. "I think we found out _who _found out..."

Vael looked at it and felt her blood run cold for a moment. "Lucian. Lucian found out. That's why he did this." She stared at Ifan. "He must..." It all started to slowly piece itself together in her head. She felt like she was going to be sick. "That's what this is all about. The Aeteran, killing the other Godwoken. He didn't want anyone to follow in his footsteps because he doesn't intend for there to be any others. Ever. The Gods, he was going to kill them!"

Ifan stared back. "And Dallis must be continuing his plans from beyond the grave... but why?"

Vael shook her head. "I don't know. We're missing something. The Gods were dying, _are _dying anyway..." She paced back and forth within the Chancellor's office, trying to think. "There's something going on that we're missing, some ... piece that we haven't found yet." Vael hurried around the room, looking for something Lucian missed, a tablet that might give them a clue, anything to help them figure out what was going on. They found little, a tablet describing Anathema as a weapon that would 'kill a god' in a single blow but be useless ever after, a book that seemed to be covered in ranting and scribbles, obscuring the actual text.

They also found a book describing something called a 'Swornbreaker', a weapon capable of challenging the will of a God. The name seemed to pick at Vael's memory, but she couldn't remember why. They even found a set of schematics detailing the functions of the Aeteran, but the writing was so esoteric and technical that Vael couldn't make head nor tail of it... though there was a rather helpful drawing of seven celestial beings bowing to it.

There was little else they could find to help them piece together what was going on. "He was too good at hiding his tracks. There are pieces and parts left here and there, but I can't... quite figure out what we're missing." Vael slammed her hand on the Chancellor's desk in frustration. "I feel like it's just out of reach, just right _there_ and we can't figure it out."

Ifan pointed over his shoulder toward the spirits. "While you were looking, I thought to ask them... Lucian killed all of them. Every single one. He approached them as a friend, exactly as he did me... and he killed them."

Vael slowly shook her head with a quiet growl. "If he wasn't already dead, we would make him pay for what he's done, Ifan. I promise you that."


	55. Ifan

As they re-entered the main library area, Vaeltorya was still fuming. She didn't like that a piece of the puzzle still seemed to be out of her reach, but at the same time, she imagined it would come to her in time. As they exited the library, Vael had to climb on some of the blanket tablets to adjust the last mirror- this charged another machine on the wall back out into the main hallway. This led to another reflector that she had to climb even higher to reach- this one projected to yet another machine, and then down across the walkway and a massive bridge toward a forcefield at the far end.

Vael looked toward Ifan once she'd climbed back down, then peered out over the bridge. "I'm starting to get a distinct idea that... We're starting to get close to the end. Are you ready?"

He took a great, deep breath, then slowly nodded. "I am. I don't want to be... but I have to be. I'm ready."

As they walked across the bridge, they found where the beam terminated. But either they were missing a way to split the beam into two... or they were missing more of those strange batteries they'd found. Vael put her hands on her hips as she looked- the others had never been too far away from where she'd needed them, but now...

Ifan stepped forward with a smile. "Ah, I get to solve the 'puzzle' now."

Vael looked toward him with a little grin. "Oh? Well, go right ahead my friend."

"Well, while you were looking around in the library, I went for a little walk. Turns out, that room we thought was locked? Not locked, just jammed. There was one in there. And then..." He placed the first on the first panel, lighting it up. "One of the bodies in the library was holding one of them. Take it from his skeletal fingers and..." He placed it down on the panel, which lit up, and finally the lever that Vael hoped would lower the barrier that kept them from the end of the hallway came to life. He motioned toward it with a grin. "You seem to like pulling on levers and things. So go ahead."

Vael gave a sheepish grin as she stepped toward it. "Well, it does tend to be pretty satisfying to do." She gave the lever a good, hard _yank_ down... and nothing happened. Vael flushed, then realized that this particular lever wanted to be pushed _up_, so she did that instead... and the barrier that separated them from the end of the hallway slowly dissipated before their eyes.

Ifan couldn't help but laugh, then headed past her, up into the area.

Vael followed quickly afterward, curious to see what they'd find... and what they found was a massive automaton. Vael started toward it, intending to try to figure out where they were and what this part of the Academy was when she heard a scream. A loud, long, echoing scream. Vael realized she'd heard it before when the Sallow Man was being resurrected after they'd struck him down the first time. Four pillars of light and chains descended into the arena, the scream of it echoing off the walls until four figures stood before Vael and Ifan.

Despite their skeletal features and the new way they carried themselves, Vael recognized one of them instantly - the bright red hair and white streak were too distinctive not to. Vael froze where she stood. "_Lohse?" _She felt rooted to the spot. "Is that _you?_" Vael never imagined she'd see her again, never imagined she'd be back. Her spirit had been on the ship, but so had the others... Her eye instinctively traveled to the other three figures. A Dwarf, an Elf... and the Undead she'd seen before.

Lohse turned to Vael, and despite her lack of eyes, she could feel the woman's stare boring into her. "Hey there, chief. Miss me?"

Vael stammered out her reply, staring at her in dumbfounded surprise. "But... you were dead!"

She could feel the anger radiating out from the skeleton before her. "As it turns out - when one friend _kills you_, another approaches you with open arms. You _killed me_. The God King offered me a new life. Quite an easy choice of allegiances, isn't it?"

Vael stood flabberghasted. "But, I- we didn't..." Ifan reached out and took hold of her arm, letting her know he was behind her.

Lohse radiated superior smugness. This didn't seem like the Lohse Vael knew at all, but... "Good luck, of course. You're going to need it. _Badly._"

Vael shook her head. "Good luck with... what? You're not here to kill us?"

"Oh, we are. But not yet." Lohse chuckled to herself. "He told us your Gods kept you in the dark. You'll need to talk to that big automaton there to get things started, Chief."

Vael looked from Lohse to the automaton. "Get _what_ started?" But Lohse was done talking to her.

With nothing left to do, Vael looked to Ifan- he seemed as confused and surprised as she was. Vael stepped forward, looking to the massive automaton that hovered before her. "Uh-"

As soon as she approached and began to speak, so did the machine. "Godwoken." The deep, rumbling voice had a... strange quality to it that Vael had never heard before. It wasn't natural, that was certain, created by the machine itself. "Are. Your. Studies. Complete?"

"Complete? How could they be? All the teachers are gone!" Vael stared up at the thing. "There isn't anyone left."

Vael realized too late that she was speaking to an automaton - it wasn't intelligent, it only responded to phrases, and apparently 'Isn't anyone left' was good enough for it to continue. It began speaking again, but this time it was clear that it wasn't speaking to her, it was speaking to all of them. "All. Godwoken. Have. Completed. Their. Studies."

Vael began waving her hands in front of it. "Hey! Wait! We didn't-!"

Ifan tugged her back and away from the thing. "I think it's too late for that, Vael."

She heard Lohse's cackling laugh. "Good luck, _Chief!_"

The robot rose into the air. "I. Take. You. Now. To. The. Arena. Of. The. One." The robot paused before continuing. "The. Wellspring. Awaits. The. Victor."

Anticipation rose within Vael's chest as she stared up at the automaton. Anticipation and more than a little bit of fear. This was it, this was the end. After this... one of them would be divine. She needed to make sure it was Ifan. She had a deal she intended to hold him to. To spend enough of the Source he'd receive in order to save Zorl-Stissa, save her Goddess... if she couldn't be divine, at least her people wouldn't lose their God.

The robot rose higher into the air, a humming building within itself. An arcane wind began to whip around the gathered Godwoken, both alive and undead, stirring their clothes. Vael hefted her blade and set her jaw. This was it. "There. You. May. Fall. OR. YOU. MAY. RISE." The humming rose to a mechanical scream, energies collecting around the robot.

There was a pulse of energy and the room fell away from Vael, fell away from all the others. She found herself on her feet, in a much larger chamber. They were inside the volcano itself; heat blasted them, dry, fiery air filled their lungs with every breath. The heated air rose from the vents down to the volcano beneath their feet, blasting them with superheated gusts. Vael felt like her scales would be flayed off by the heat of it, but she knew that Ifan couldn't be feeling any better. "Ifan!" She shouted to him, barely able to see him on a platform much like her own. "I'm with you!"

She hoped he could hear her, she didn't want any last-minute doubts. She saw Lohse's head twitch, but didn't know what it meant- they seemed to be separated by some kind of barrier, Vael banged her sword against it, but it didn't give. The arbiter, the automaton before them, began to speak again. "So. It. Begins. The. First. Godwoken. To. Enter. The. Wellspring. Of Ascension. Becomes. Divine." Vael felt her gaze pulled toward it- so far away, yet so close, so achingly close at last... and she knew she wouldn't be the one to touch it. "May. The. New. Divine. Be. Worthy." The arbiter scanned all of them. "For. The. Rest. May. They. Have. Mercy. On. Your. Soul." The automaton turned, raising one massive arm toward the Wellspring. "To. The. Wellspring. Of Ascension." The arm dropped. "BEGIN."

The barrier around Vael and the others dropped. 

Seven kinds of hell broke loose.

Ifan had already raised his crossbow to fire, aiming directly at the elven skeletal woman. Their God King had actually decided to give them armor, however, unlike the Sallow Man they'd defeated before... and judging by the fact that it actually managed to deflect Ifan's bolt, it seemed to be pretty good armor.

Vael called to the anger within herself, all the strength she'd been given... she was going to need it. Her hands burst into flames as she held her sword aloft, screaming a cry into the air around them- that might get their attention. Her blade alight, Vael leaped from the platform she'd been on toward the ground, where one of the undead Godwoken was already trying to rush for the Wellspring. She landed in a plume of flame directly in front of him, the Dwarf they'd seen before. "Not today." Vael snarled, slashing with her blade, bringing it across the Dwarf's chest. 

His twin axes rose, blocking her strike, sending sparks and embers skidding into his beard, which erupted into flames. "Me beard! You'll pay for that, lizard!" The flaming skeleton pushed into the attack, forcing Vael back. She barely managed to see Ifan leaping from platform to platform, pelting the others with his crossbow as he made his way toward Vael.

She knew that she needed to keep them from getting past her- thankfully, as far as he knew, none of them knew how to fly, so as long as she stood in their way they would have to go through her. "Ifan! Go!"

"I'm not leaving you here with them alone." He leaped from the upper platforms to land beside Vael, taking up his position. "On your right."

Her jaw set, Vael turned to the undead arrayed against them. Four against two. "It's almost fair odds," Vael snarled.

Ifan's face a stony mask as he readied his crossbow for another shot, he nodded. "For them."

The pair fought brilliantly together, Vael in front, deflecting blows and spells with her fiery blade, able to take what the undead could dish out, her gleaming armor shining in the ember-filled air. She almost felt at home in the heat, her own homeland cloaked in deserve, the fire around her only adding to the heat that surrounded her, helping to drive the others back, keeping them from getting too close or from trying to get past the pair. Ifan's bolts lanced out with near-pinpoint precision, finding weak points, slamming through armor.

Vael thought they might actually manage it- they'd put down the others, they'd be able to reach the well, Ifan could ascend... Vael turned to fend off another strike from the Dwarf, battered his axes to the side. She recovered quickly enough that she spun, her armored tail slamming into him, knocking him back - it left him wide open. Her blade slammed down onto him, crushing some of his bones to dust, doing enough damage that the magic within him winked out and faded, and he went still.

Ifan found success too. Bolt after bolt had slammed into the elf, driving her back, keeping her from being effective. As Vael spun, Ifan ducked low enough that he was able to fire a bolt _up_ and under the elf's guard. It shattered a rib, passed through her chest, shattered another as it exited. She stumbled, then fell. It left only the original Undead, one Vael had never spoken to before, and Lohse.

The Undead carried two wands, he launched globs of poison at Vael and Ifan with them. They splattered across the ground, forcing the two of them to retreat back to a wider area. "I am an Eternal! I will not die here! I will ascend!" He charged the two of them. "For the God King!" He was far faster than Vael had anticipated him being, perhaps he'd simply held back because the two others were so close, she didn't know. He was among them like a whirlwind, spinning, splattering the both of them with poison. He stomped, breathing a spell, a cloud of the stuff spread around them. 

Vael coughed and pushed out of the poison, trying to escape the choking cloud- she found herself separated. More of the skeleton's attacks slammed into her, into her armor, into her back, She turned, leading with her blade, cracking him across his skull. That just seemed to piss him off as he renewed his attack, driving Vael further away from her friend.

Ifan had his own problems, Lohse harried him, driving him across the ground. Her staff slammed into the floor, flames leaping from it. Her hands traced spells in the air as she spoke and chanted, forcing him further away from Vael. He turned and fired bolts at her as he ran, winding up for another shot as he went, time and time again they deflected off of her staff or a magical barrier she'd raised before herself.

Vael's attacker kept forcing her back, back further and further- she soon realized what he was doing, trying to drive her over the edge, into the lava, and away from Ifan. She called upon the strength she'd been given, hoping she had anything left. Vael waited for an opening- then she took it. Between two of the skeleton's attacks, she drove him back, blade swiping at him, flames biting into him again and again. She refused to let up, an onslaught of attacks, driving _him _back, closer to Lohse, closer to Ifan. She had to get to him, to protect him.

A final blow slammed into the skeleton, cutting one of his wands in half. He looked to it, stunned... then his right arm slipped free of his tearing jacket, bones shattering on the ground. Vael spun, whipping her sword around so quickly that the tip whistled- it smashed through his chest, his ribcage, sending bone dust and splinters out across the ground, scorched by the flames of her weapons. "But I am... Eternal..." he pleaded, one last time before he went still.

Vael rushed to Ifan's side as quickly as her feet would carry her, pushed onward by desperation. She needed to keep him safe, he had to ascend. Lohse drove him further back. His crossbow lay shattered to one side, destroyed by one of her attacks- he'd pulled free two blades, forced into melee combat with her- it seemed that ranged attacks were not the only thing he could do. Vael screamed her cry as she closed in- between the two of them, they could put Lohse down finally, one last time. She never made it.

An incantation sent Vael flying off of her feet, floating through the air. She didn't know what hit her, her feet churned uselessly, her arms flailed. There was a blinding flash, suddenly she was somewhere else, floating in the air over the lava... then she was no longer floating. Whatever spell had been cast upon her was let go, Vael screamed, falling through the air. Her blade flew from her grasp, onto the stones before her as she just managed to catch the edge of the platform, feet and tail dangling helplessly in the air. "Ifan! Go!" She tried to wave him off with her hand. "Run!" She struggled to find purchase on the platform, claws digging into the stone. She knew he could outrun Lohse, he was almost as fast as _she _was. "Just go! Kill her after!"

He wasn't listening. He swiped at Lohse, forcing her to duck, then spun. His foot slammed into her, sending the skeleton sprawling, then he broke out into a dead sprint. Except he wasn't running for the Wellspring- he ran for Vael. She felt herself slipping, her claws unable to find grip on the smooth Eternal-made stones. Vael closed her eye, breathing a quiet prayer to Zorl-Stissa as she struggled to claw herself back up onto the ledge. She felt herself beginning to fall, nails digging gouges into the stone- then they slipped.

She didn't scream, knew the end was coming. She'd failed. Herself, her Goddess, Ifan - Then a hand caught around her own. She opened her eye and looked up, Ifan's hand wrapped around her wrist. She gripped him tight as he scowled, grunting and huffing under his breath, slowly hauling her back up. "I said... I wasn't... leaving you!"

Vael'd never been so happy to see a Human in her life. With Ifan's help, his foot hooked around a protruding bit of stonework to anchor him, he began to pull her steadily up and over the edge. As soon as she was able, she started to help, claws scrabbling for purchase on the stone. "Ifan! She's coming!" She pointed with a hand as she finally managed to put one leg up on the platform, Lohse advancing toward them, a flame burning in her hands as she readied another spell.

"So cute, Chief. So sorry it won't be enough." Lohse pushed herself forward, hands extending out as flame burned from her fingertips. A Source spawned fire, curling and burning toward the two of them. Vael leaped in front of Ifan, placing herself between the flames and him. Her own rage-fueled fires burning bright around her, pushing back against Lohse's own. The flames stopped and Vael looked up, Lohse stood, a grim look on the woman's skeletal face. Ifan rushed to her side, briefly looking at Vael's smoking armor, some of it glowing red hot from the heat that'd battered it.

"What do we do about her?" He readied his twin blades as Vael picked up her own, the blade re-igniting as she stared at the skeletal woman before her.

"We kill her." Vael lifted her blade and screamed, charging the woman, Source-fueled flames reigniting around her fingers.

Ifan was right behind her, rushing in, forcing Lohse to defend against them both at once. But she'd been dead longer than the others, had had more time in the God King's service to learn, to train... and Vael couldn't even imagine what strength the demon that possessed her had. She seemed able to stand against both of them at once, her staff was everywhere, and where it wasn't, her magical barriers were. She blocked and deflected every blow, was able to push both of them back at once.

Vael slammed her blade down upon her shield, saw it crack. "She's faltering!" She managed to cry to Ifan, raising her sword for another blow- the bottom of Lohse's staff slammed into her. Vael heard metal screech and groan in protest, the armor over her middle buckling. The base of Lohse's staff had been sharpened, it very nearly punched right through. The air knocked out of her lungs, Vael fell to her knees, leaving Ifan to duel Lohse alone.

He held his ground, but she could see that he was flagging, struggling to keep up with Lohse's enhanced strength. Vael tried to push herself to her feet, tried to force herself up. She looked down, she could see the blood seeping through her claws. She didn't feel anything -too- deep, so it had probably only just pierced her scales, but this was worrisome all the same. She forced herself up onto her feet and toward Lohse again. 

The skeletal woman spun with her staff, slamming it into Ifan's shoulder- Vael heard bones snap as he cried out in pain. His right arm fell useless against his side as he fell to a knee. Vael leaped upon her, slamming sword and body against Lohse in a last-ditch attempt to keep her off of Ifan. A wave of force radiated out from the woman, knocking Vael back. Her body, armor, head, helmet, all slammed against the wall behind her hard enough to leave her dazed. She slumped, trying to push herself back to her feet. 

The wave had knocked Ifan down as well, pushed him to his back.

Vael's vision swam as she blinked her eye, trying to clear it. She stumbled away from the wall, trying to force herself to move.

Lohse stepped over Ifan and raised her staff.

He held up an arm, trying to push her away.

Lohse's staff slammed down into him, burying itself into Ifan's chest.

Vael screamed. She threw her weapon to the side, charging as quickly as she was able toward the woman. She slammed into her, full weight, armor, and everything. Lohse's barrier shattered in a cascade of magic. Vael's momentum carried both of them forward. The edge loomed before them.

Vael let her go as they sailed out over the air before them, twisting in the air. Her feet found Lohse in the air, shoving off of her just enough- Her claw caught the ledge.

Lohse screamed all the way down.

Vael managed to pull herself slowly up the ledge, her claws digging for purchase. The stones here were just slightly more irregular, _just enough_ for her to gain enough purchase to pull herself up. She couldn't believe it, it couldn't be true, not after all this. Not him too. She wouldn't believe it. She _couldn't._

Vael pulled herself up enough that she could see over the ledge. The staff still stood, embedded in him. His hand outstretched toward the ledge, eyes open and unseeing. He'd died still trying to reach out for her.

Vael sobbed as she forced herself the rest of the way up. "Ifan. No. Please." She found purchase, pulled herself forward. She was able to swing one leg up and onto the ledge and haul herself up, rushing to his side. She lifted his head, cradled it in her hands... His eyes didn't see her, didn't see anything else anymore.

_'My child, my chosen... Vaeltorya. This isn't the place. We don't have time.'_ Vael closed her eye, feeling tears running down her muzzle. "Does it matter anymore? He's gone... they're both gone. I couldn't save either of them."

_'Someone must rise, Vaeltorya. Someone must hold the Void back.'_

She was right. Of course she was. Vael just wished it wasn't her. She wished it was anyone but her.


	56. Good Intentions

Vaeltorya forced herself to her feet, staring down at him. Open eyes, unseeing, hand still outstretched. She leaned down and gently closed his eyes... she could at least give him that. She would be back for him- she would. He wouldn't be left here, not like this. She picked up her weapon once again, laying it across her shoulder... Zorl-Stissa was right. Someone had to become Divine. Someone had to _rise. _There were no other options. It _had _to be her.

She put one foot in front of the other even though it broke her heart to do it. To leave her friend behind.

Bleeding, battered and bruised, but not defeated, Vael descended toward the Wellspring. She could feel it now, the massive swell of Source that awaited her. Could see glimmers of silvery light reflecting up from below, off of the stones and rocks, tempered by the red light that the lava around them gave off. At least the Seven had picked an impressive place to put it...

As Vael stepped onto the bridge, the last few feet that separated her from the Wellspring, she paused. She looked down over the edge, at the massive pool of Source that waited below. The surface undulated like a thing alive, like it too shuddered in anticipation, knowing that someone was coming to claim it, to take it - all of it.

Vael stepped onto the bridge. She had never been her own first choice, but she was now the only one left.

The Wellspring rose before her, a stone construction that reached down into the lake itself below. It looked almost like a coffin, or tomb, but shaped such that it was clear you were supposed to lay upon it. Impressions for arms, legs... Vael could imagine what it would do, lower you or pump Source up so that it washed around you, infusing you... She wondered what it would feel like.

A knife flew out of the dark near the wellspring, slamming into her leg. Vael screamed in pain and fell to one knee, her leg giving out- the knife itself wasn't too much of a problem, but there was something in it... a spell, a poison, she didn't know, she found herself unable to rise.

A voice rang out of the darkness as someone stepped forward. A woman's voice. Vael could barely turn her head, just enough that she could focus her good eye on the woman. **_Dallis. _**_'Vaeltorya! The Wellspring! Reach!' _Panic rose in her Goddess' tone. "I can't... move", she managed to grit through seized jaws.

Dallis stepped forward, flanked by her cloaked pet and her silent watchers, all staring at Vael as she struggled to move. "So good of you to come, Godwoken. You know, you are many things - but above all, you are... reliable. Reliable to the point of being predictable. You came to the Wellspring. I followed. The Lady Vengeance is, after all, _my _ship. And now here we all are." 

Panic rose within Vael as she realized that Dallis had it on her back... The Aeteran. The thing Vael had seen in the spirit's memories so long ago. The thing that could sap all the Source from the world, from the Wellspring. Vael tried to reach for it, tried to take hold of it, tried to _move_. Her fingers twitched. It was all she could do to hold herself up, to keep from collapsing onto her face.

"It is time, Mistress." Dallis' pet spoke from her side.

Dallis gave Vael a long and steady look as if it was the last time they would see each other for the rest of eternity. Then, she dipped her chin in acknowledgment. Vael was _almost_ her equal. Then she turned to the man at her side. "Yes, Vredeman. It is time." Dallis raised the Aeteran. Like a divining rod to water, it sought the Wellspring... and found it. The device hummed to life...

_'No!'_ Too weak to move, too weak to fight, her Goddess too weak to intervene... Vael could only watch helplessly.

The Aeteran connected to the Wellspring, Source connecting it to its target, and to Dallis. The woman grit her teeth and struggled as the draining commenced. Vael could _feel _it, feel the Source, draining away, the lake beneath her, so full, so agitated before, draining away to nothing. But it seemed as if Dallis struggled with the device, maybe it would be too much... Vael could only hope.

Dallis pulled the Aeteran up and away, the connection broke. 

At Vael's side, the Wellspring, the stone sarcophagus... it shattered, blowing apart, a wave of Source coursing out through everyone present, knocking them back a step. Dallis hadn't managed to take all of it. _Almost_ all of it... but a tiny fraction of that was still something. Vael managed to clench her hand into a fist. Whatever they'd done, it was starting to wear off.

Vredeman turned to Dallis. "We are done, mistress."

Dallis struggled with the Aeteran, holding it aloft. "Yes, Vredeman. We are done." The ground around them began to rumble- they hadn't been the only ones disturbed by the Wellspring's destruction. "And so, too, Godwoken, are you." Dallis turned back to her. "Soon you shall be little more than relics of a bygone time. And this place shall be your tomb. Goodbye."

As Dallis, Vredeman, and her watchers teleported away, whatever they'd managed to do to Vael broke. She yanked the knife from her own leg, throwing it at the disappearing woman- Dallis vanished before it reached her. The ground beneath Vael began to shift and twist, she pushed herself to her feet. **"DALLIS." **Vael bellowed.

The ground beneath her gave way. 

In one giant slab, the bridge fell, the ruins of the shattered Wellspring tumbling down the side to the empty lake below. Vael crashed to the ground, the stone crumbling to pieces under her feet. She struggled forward, forcing herself on. Dallis hadn't managed to take all of it, she could feel it in the air, _some _Source remained. Maybe they could do something, they would find a way, they'd always found a way. "Please... please tell me we can do something... this isn't the end..."

Vael didn't get a response from her Goddess. She could feel nothing but despair rising up from within her. A soft voice repeating again and again. _'It's gone. It's gone. It's gone.' _Over and over. 

She forced herself onward, forced herself to struggle for step after step. They would find a way out. Some tiny amount remained. She could restore Zorl-Stissa, buy her more time, buy _herself _more time. They just needed a way out. They had to find a way out...

As Vael stumbled ahead, climbing ruins, slipping and falling at times as the ground shifted beneath her, she kept that fact in her mind. All she needed was a way out... They could fix this, but she had to _get out_.

She stepped between two pillars, two statues and felt another rumble beneath her feet. Then from the air around her. The air itself seemed to tremble, something was happening. She heard the voice within her still. _'They are coming.' _"They? Who..."

Vael was blasted back as a massive Source rift opened in the air before her, six glimmering figures stepping forth. She could feel the Source in the air around her drain away in an instant, all of it sucked into these figures before her like a sponge. She stared, disbelieving. They were here, they were _all _here. Rhalic, Xantezza, Tir-Cendelius, Vrogir, Duna, Amadia... all of them. Glittering golden spirits standing tall before Vael. "You monumental **_failure._**" Rhalic glowered at her, lowering his blade toward her. His shield gleamed like the sun itself. "The moment you turned her against us, I knew it. I knew we should have put you down. Started over. Started again. **_And look where you have gotten us._**" 

Rhalic gestured around himself with his blade, the others gathering in behind him. "The Wellspring, gone. Our Source, our _power _stolen from us. And the state of you, the state of _her_. She can't even manifest to speak to us herself, can she?" Rhalic turned to the ground and spit at his side. "**_Pathetic._**" He lowered his blade. "I told you I would come for the other eye, _girl_. I come to claim what is mine. We'll take your Source, then take _hers_. What tiny amount of it is left. Then we will see to this ourselves. No one steals from the Gods."

Rhalic charged her, shield raised, the brilliant light from it shining so brightly that Vael couldn't see. She felt rather than saw him slam into her, knocking her off her feet. Vael rolled, avoiding his next strike- The other five stood by, watching. Rhalic seemed to want it that way, he looked back to the others, gesturing to Vael on the ground. "She can barely stand! Godwoken! Pah! My pathetic mortal couldn't even survive..." He looked back to Vael.

The rage burned up within her, deeper and stronger than she could remember. Some amount of the Source from the Wellspring had transferred to Vael when the structure exploded. Some amount of the strength... She only had to tap into it. Vael rose to her feet, glowering at Rhalic, as flames rose around her, white-hot, hot enough to scorch and blacken, crack the stone around her. She hefted her blade, held it aloft, eye unblinking as she watched him. "You want my Source, Rhalic? Come and take it."

He cackled a laugh, charging her again. He tried the same trick, but Vael seemed to know exactly how to counter it. A massive wall of flame like a wing unfurled shot toward him, battering his shield aside, Scorching his godly, glimmering armor. Vael began to advance toward him, blade held vertical before herself. He roared and charged against her- she moved. So fast she almost couldn't believe it. Her blade blocked his, struck him, slamming into his armor, denting it, sending him staggering back.

Still, Vael advanced. She could see it in his eyes as he looked down toward his ruined shoulder plate. An emotion that was all too familiar.

Fear.

He looked to the others, then to Vael. "What are you waiting for! Kill her!"

With battle cries and roars, the five charged Vael... all except one. Xantezza stood back, watching. "What are you doing?!" Rhalic roared to her. "Kill her!"

Xantezza just smiled. "This is too much fun to watch."

Vael danced with the four, Vrogir, Amadia, Tir-Cendelius, Duna. They fought like caged, desperate beasts. Lashed out with strength that should have torn Vael asunder, but she held. Blocking strikes, dodging them, leaping over them, side-stepping to avoid them. Her flaming blade struck blow after blow. The white-hot flames around her, solid as steel, blocked those that fell upon her, turning weapons aside. Sparks flew, flames roared.

Vael closed her eye and slammed her foot into the ground around her, a wall of flames erupted, driving them back... but she could feel it. Deep within herself, the power slowly draining away. She would need to do something, and fast...

As the others stumbled back, Vael looked down to see a small figure standing before her. "You know what would be funny?" Xantezza looked back toward Rhalic, toward the other Gods as they staggered to their feet. "If you won." Xantezza closed her eyes and slowly faded away.

_'The seven become six.' _came the quiet voice from within herself.

Vael felt the Source enter her, the strength, the sheer, raw _power _of it making her body sing. Glared at the five before her, her eye glimmering faintly with a soft, inner light.

"What have you done!?" Rhalic's voice carried a hint, a tone of panic. He leveled his sword at Vael, looking wildly to the others. "What are you waiting for!? Kill her!"

The four charged her again. Vael felt like she could bat them away like flies.

They crashed upon her, upon the flames that formed her armor, upon the pillar of fire that was her blade. Vael met them. Again and again. She met them on equal footing. And she was winning. They were fading, manifesting like this, their connection to the world broken, the Wellspring shattered, their Source slowly draining away the harder they fought.

Tir-Cendelius was the next to fall. So weakened by the loss of his elves, his body seemed to simply... give up. His Source filled the air as his glimmering golden form faded away. Vael lifted her hand, called upon what she'd been taught, drinking it in. She was burning Source faster than she could take it in, but she was winning. Slowly, steadily... she was winning.

_'The six become five.'_

Amadia, Vrogir, Duna, the three charged her as Rhalic paced in the back, waiting for his opening, waiting for his moment to shine. Vael knew what he was doing, waiting for his moment. When she was weakened, he would charge, he would end her. He would be the hero. The first of the Seven would become the One. 

Vael drove the others back, again and again, then, she realized... she had hit her limit. Tir-Cendelius had not been enough. Battered, bruised, burned Gods stumbled back as the flames around Vael puttered out, her Source had run dry.

Rhalic laughed as he stared at her over the three. "Mortals! They always think they're better than they are! Be done with it!"

They charged Vael again... She felt something within herself stirring.

Like a roaring, gleaming flame, Zorl-Stissa burst from her in a shower of glimmering sparks, weapons readied and raised. She had not been idle. She had been biding her time. "Come, my chosen! We shall finish them! Together!"

Furious, Rhalic roared and leaped into the fray. _**"Traitor!"**_

Godwoken against God. Zorl-Stissa against Rhalic. They dueled, weapons clashed. Sparks, flames, spells flew. It was all Vael could do to hold off the three as Zorl-Stissa battled Rhalic. The ground around them rattled and rumbled and shook, the very air around them heating up. The volcano that had housed the Wellspring would stay silent no longer. 

"We're running out of time!" Vael blocked a strike from Vrogir, slamming her blade into the Orc God, driving him back.

"Then what are you waiting for!?" Zorl-Stissa called back, "End them!"

Duna sliced at her with his blades, trying to drive her into Amadia's spell. Vael blocked his strike, brought her knee up into his face. She leaped over him, spinning in the air. As she crashed down, so did her blade.

_'Five become four.'_

Zorl-Stissa called to Vaeltorya, retreating away from Rhalic as the roaring Human God chased her across the trembling stones. Fiery eruptions began to pelt the stone around them, adding yet another thing for them to avoid.

Vrogir charged Vael. He overestimated himself, his strength... just as he'd done in his temple. He clashed with Vael, trying to force her weapon down, she shoved his up, over his head. The hilt of her blade followed, slamming into his nose, knocking him off balance. Vael spun and stabbed behind her, facing Amadia as Vrogir collapsed down and off of her blade.

'_Four become three.'_

Vael charged the woman who had tried to steal more than what was offered, whose claw marks still decorated the black of her armor. She roared her battle cry, Amadia tried to block her attack. Her staff fell to the ground, sliced in two. Amadia looked up, shock on her face. Vael plunged her weapon forward, stabbing into the woman's chest. Amadia clutched at the wound before she fell back, fading away.

_'Three become two.'_

Vael heard Rhalic cackle, Zorl-Stissa landed at Vael's feet, battered and bruised. She reached up, Vael touched her fingers to her Goddess' own. The space inside of her began to fill up once again as Zorl-Stissa retreated. _'I am beaten, my champion... You must face him alone.' _Her voice sounded weary and worn, Vael couldn't imagine what it had taken from her to manifest, to fight so hard for so long.

Rhalic plunged his sword into the air, drawing the loose Source from the other gods. His voice deepened as he grew, swelling, stone rising to form his armored cladding. _**"KNEEL! I AM THE LAST. I AM THE ONE. YOU ARE NOTHING." **_

Vael refused. There was only one being in this world that Vael would kneel for. Ever again. And this was not it. She raised her weapon, screaming as she charged the massive Source Titan. It swung, weapon crashing down into the ground behind her, scattering chips and fragments of stone across the ground. Vael could hear them pinging off of her battered armor. She sliced into the thing's leg, her soulforged weapon biting into the stone that clad Rhalic, chipping away at it. _'You will never break though his armor that way.' _"I'm thinking!"

Vael dodged the thing- though he was larger, he was far slower... But each of his attacks fell with such strength that Vael knew she would never be able to take him with force alone. She needed to think. The ground shifted beneath her, the volcano around them rumbling as more lava splattered onto the platform. "I know what to do!"

She climbed high over him and began to run across the shattered platforms, drawing him away. His footsteps shook the unstable stone beneath them, but it held. _"COME BACK, GIRL. I WANT YOUR EYE." _Rhalic's voice echoed in the chamber, drowning out for fleeting moments the rumbling of the volcano around them, the spattering of the superheated magma across the stones. Vael ran until she saw what she wanted... what she needed. 

She skidded to a stop, clawed feet gripping the stone. "Come and get it!" _'What are you doing!?' _"Just watch me..."

Vael waited until the last possible moment, then charged Rhalic, screaming at the top of her lungs all the way.

_"I WILL SAVE RIVELLON. I WILL BE THE ONE._" Rhalic saw her charging him and he raised his weapon. Vael leaped into the air, and just as she'd hoped... he raised it higher. Overconfidence. Pride. She came down on him, hard, pushing him back. He stumbled. Vael pressed herself down as much as she could, then with all of her blessed strength, she shoved.

Vael leaped away from him, pushing her back. Already unbalanced, topheavy from the massive weapon he held over his head, Rhalic began to fall. He crashed back onto the stone, heavy enough that part of their platform broke away and tumbled into the lava. The splash, the roiling magma from below, splattered up and onto the stone armor that Rhalic had gathered around himself, superheating it, making it brittle and weak.

Vael waited for exactly the right moment. From the ground, she ran toward him as fast as her legs could cake her, she sprinted across the crumbling stone, she climbed his leg, the oversized, top-heavy god struggling to push himself to his feet. From his knee, Vael pushed off, she leaped into the air, soaring above him... She crashed down into him, her soulforged blade piercing into the weakened, crumbling stone over his chest.

Rhalic jerked and twitched underneath her, his stone armor falling away as the body within it shank back down, shrank until he was no larger than he had been; until he was shorter than Vael; until he looked no more a God than a man. She yanked her blade free, glaring down at him.

He struggled to sit up, placing his hand over the hole in his armor, leaking his glimmering, divine blood. He coughed, more of it splattering down beneath his visor. "What now, girl? You absorb me... take me for yourself...? I will save Rivellon! I will be the one! You can't have me, girl! You are a mortal! I will not allow it! I AM A GOD!"

"Not me." Vael stepped to the side as Zorl-Stissa stepped out of her. Vael looked to her out of her good eye. "Her."

"YOU BI-" He seized up, glimmering blood sputtering from his mouth as her Goddess stabbed her claws into his neck.

Zorl-Stissa's glowing, gleaming claws drinking up, his Source, pulling him into herself, drawing and draining him away until Rhalic, the god of the Humans, faded away. "Survival of the fittest does not mean you have to work alone."

_'Two become one.'_

Zorl-Stissa closed her eyes, her entire form brightened, shimmered hardened. 

Vael looked to her, the ground shaking beneath her feet as she struggled to stay standing. "Please don't tell me this is the part where you attack me and I have to kill you too?"

Zorl-Stissa looked to her, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "It would make for a good story."

Vael breathed a quiet sigh of relief, then another rumble from beneath her, louder, longer, more violent shook her to the point she very nearly toppled over. "Can we go now!?"

"Yes, that would be a good idea." Zorl-Stissa placed her hand on Vael's shoulder and disappeared. The space within Vael filled up as she'd never felt it before, like she remembered when she'd been drowning in the sea. So hot she felt like she'd burn up from the inside out. _'Go, my chosen! Get us out of here!'_

Vael took to her feet like the hells themselves were after her... Which, with the lava spattering in ever-greater eruptions behind her as she ran, they might as well have been. "There's no way out!" They'd fallen so far when the Wellspring collapsed, so deep, there weren't any entrances, all the stairwells had fallen.

_'If you die in here, I will consume your soul!'_

Lava roiled as earthquakes rumbled all around her. Vael searched for an exit, _any_ exit. Shockwaves of sound pierced the air - the growl of shifting ground. She needed a way out. 

Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind. It's... Malady! "Where the hell _are _you!?", she called. "Ugh! Find my beacon. We need to get out of here _now!" _

Vael shouted into the air, she didn't care if Malady could hear her or not. "YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?"

Molten rock splattered all around her as she ran- then she saw it. A glimmering, glowing, silvery beacon of Source... shaped like the Lady Vengeance's figurehead. Vael ran toward it as quickly as she could, dodging puddles of magma and falling rock. She had no idea what Malady was planning, but at the moment, she couldn't bring herself to care. As long as it was a way _out_.

Vael felt something in the air, a crackling, growing _power_ that made her feel like she was about to be struck by lightning. "Please don't tell me they're coming back for a round two!" The crackling grew louder, stronger until Vael could feel it in her very bones-!

A rift opened in the air before her, massive, so large it was unlike anything she'd ever seen. And out of the rift emerged... the Lady Vengeance, Malady clinging to a rope as she stood on the starboard bow. "JUMP!"

Vael pelted toward the ship as the platform underfoot began to rumble and break apart, running as quickly as her legs would take her. As the ground beneath her fell away, Vael put everything she had into one, last, desperate leap. She flew through the air, all she could see below her the roiling lava of the volcano about to explode.

Malady's hand found Vael's. Vael slammed into the side of the ship hard enough to splinter planks. Malady hauled her up, tossing her onto the deck.

The crackling grew again, louder and louder until the entirety of the ship lurched forward through another rift. Vael stared out behind them over the stern as the ship retreated into the rift. The volcano _exploded_, sending ash and smoke and magma flying toward them at a speed she never could have even imagined...

The rift closed behind them as the Lady Vengeance disappeared into the Hall of Echoes.


	57. In-Between

As Vael stared at what had just been an erupting volcano behind them, she slowly became aware of a coughing and hacking at her side. She turned to see Malady, doubled over, retching and gasping for breath. Vael picked herself up to her feet, reached back, then gave her a resounding _smack_ to her back.

Malady sputtered and it sounded like she swallowed... whatever it was, then slowly stood up straight and looked to Vael. "Ungh... I guess when I said 'never again', I really meant 'once or twice more'." She looked to Vael with a frown, then around herself, then up and down, then finally back to Vael. "Where's your friend?"

Vael swallowed hard and closed her eye, then slowly shook her head.

"Oooh... Well then." She coughed awkwardly, then snorted, something silvery retreating up her nose. "Okay. Okay..." She cleared her throat. "Okay. The Hall of Echoes once more. Our home away from home..."

Vael nodded... then leaned to the side and promptly vomited all over the deck.

Malady curled her lip at the sight, but reached over and _very gingerly _patted the lizard on the back.

Vael dry-heaved several more times before she caught her breath, then slowly forced herself to stand up, wiping her lips on the back of her hand. "I..." She took a deep breath, trying to ignore what she was smelling. "I am... very, very glad that you got me off of that island in time. That was a close one."

"Close indeed. You almost became a god and instead, you're still... _you_." She gestured somewhat limply to Vael.

A glimmering golden light appeared and Zorl-Stissa stepped to the side out of Vael. "She is not all _her_."

Vael and Malady both stared wide-eyed at the Goddess as she emerged so casually from her Godwoken. "But- you- I-" Malady stared at Vael.

"I thought..." Vael looked around herself, realizing where they were. "It's because we're here, isn't it?"

Zorl-Stissa clasped her hands in front of itself. "It is."

Malady looked to Vael. "Does this mean..."

"It means very little, actually." Zorl-Stissa looked from one to the other. "I am still failing. I am still dying. What we did only prolonged the inevitable." She placed her hand almost affectionately on top of Vael's head. "We will still be relying on her for... almost everything." She looked to Malady. "Attempt to pretend that I am not here." The glimmering light faded back into Vael, returning into that comfortable spot inside of her that filled with heat.

Malady stared at Vael, one lip raised in a curl. "Well... okay?" She slowly shook her head. "If we're pretending that didn't happen, moving on..." She gave Vael another suspicious look. "At least you managed to murder... _most _of the Seven. _Quite _the spectacle. I've never seen anything so -" She held her hands out in front of herself. "Ngh... Let's talk about this later. I need to rest. We've still one big jump to go, but... it'll have to wait." Malady looked around, taking in the streaming, bluish ether.

She breathed a deep, ragged breath. "At least... it's quite... quite _beautiful _here, isn't it." She looked toward Vael once more. "I'm going to take a rest. Sort myself out. I suggest you do the same. Speak to the ship if you need me. She'll know where to find me." She pointed to Vael. "This may be your last bit of respite before the storm blows in again, Godwoken. Enjoy it. You deserve that much." With that... she just vanished. Her voice reappeared in Vael's mind. "And tell your _passenger_ it would be appreciated if she could make herself useful."

Zorl-Stissa rumbled unpleasantly from within Vael. _'I heard that.' _Vael chuckled slowly to herself. "I'm pretty sure that was the point."

As Vael wandered the decks, wanting to get a decent distance from her own 'eruption' before she had a way to clean it up... She realized that, like before, there were familiar faces waiting for her on the deck. Spirits. Two in particular that she wanted to speak with. 

Vael hurried over to where Ifan stood, watching her, something like a smile on his face, almost hidden by his beard. "Ifan! I'm so sorry, I..." She reached out for him, her hands disappearing through his own, spectral ones. "I tried, Ifan. I tried."

He nodded his head once. "There are worse ways to go, I suppose... Fighting an undead mage in the middle of an exploding volcano, trying to struggle for Divinity..." He tilted his head to the side, then turned his gaze to Vael. "It was good while it lasted, wasn't it?"

Vael closed her eye, nodding her head, tears beginning to run down her muzzle again. "It was. You were a good friend, Ifan. I'm... I'm going to miss you."

He smirked. "And I you. But..." He reached out like he was taking someone's hand who Vael couldn't see. "I have to go, Vael." He spoke to her, some elvish that she just didn't catch. "Be seeing you." He faded away into a wisp of smoke. Vael wondered where he might go, what would happen to him now... but at least Rhalic was gone. He was safe from that, at least.

The second spirit Vael wanted to speak to she genuinely hadn't expected to ever see again. The Red Prince's spirit stood on the starboard side of the ship, near the stern. Vael approached him slowly, watching him. He stood with his arms crossed, gazing out over the ethereal 'sea' the ship sailed across.

As she walked closer, he turned his head toward her, a small little smile curling at his lips. "Thought you'd seen the last of me, did you?"

"Well... yes, I did." Vael stared at him, confused. "What happened?"

"I cannot rest until my Sadha is safe. And something tells me..." He looked across to Vael, one spectral eye searching her. "You will find her in Arx."

She raised her brows. "Arx? What's she doing in Arx?"

"I don't know." He shook his head. "But she _is_ there... I know it. And you are..." He looked down at himself, his glimmering, see-through fingers. "You are the only one who can do anything to save her now."

Vael smiled softly, giving a single nod toward him. "I will, Prince. I never intended to go back on my promise."

"Well good! I would have to haunt you if you did. Would you want a haunting composed by one as clever as I?" He placed his hand to his chest. "I think not. You would never sleep again."

She lowered her head to look at the deck. "Well, thankfully... it won't have to come to that."

He nodded once, then turned his head back out to the 'sea', away from Vael.

She continued wandering the ship, wondering what other stragglers they might have found. She spotted the Dwarf, higher up in the rigging, gazing out. He continually repeated 'she'll do it now' over and over, Vael didn't think she'd get anything else out of him. Then... she spotted Lohse. In the 'flesh', so to speak, with grinning skull to stare at Vael, she just looked... sad.

"A million candles. A million all around, and they're just like me... They're just like me..." Vael wasn't sure if she was talking to her or not, but she approached the spirit all the same.

"You killed him! You killed Ifan!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the spirit.

"You killed _me!"_ She spat back.

"You were going to kill the elf!" Vael gestured to Lohse. "What was I supposed to do? Let you!?"

"It's done now, isn't it? The demon. He keeps our souls. He keeps them all forever... I see it all... I see it all..." She looked at Vael. "That was my one chance for freedom. One chance to be rid of him." She looked to the deck. "How could you? I'll never be free of him now. Do you understand that? _I'll never be free of him now..._"

Vael slowly shook her head, looking up to Lohse. "It was never meant to be like this."

"He has me, now; he has me forever. I'll never be free of him." She pointed to Vael. "You have to kill him."

Vael snarled back. "For what? To save you? _You killed my friend._"

"Not just me. All the others. The _millions _of others." Lohse gestured around herself to something only she could see. "They're all trapped. Just like me. _Just_ like me. If not for me... for them."

Vael's expression slowly softened. "If... I find him." She nodded once. "I will."

Lohse seemed at least somewhat mollified by that, as she turned and looked away, refusing to speak to Vael anymore.

The other spirits didn't prove to have much to say. The undead just asked her questions, stating he was writing an 'Observations on the Mortal Races, vol 1'. Vael answered a few questions, then moved away as he trailed off into writing. The elven spirit didn't seem to want to have much to do with her. That left Vael... alone, on the ship. Well, not alone, the other spirits still lingered, but... Aside from Malady, who else was there?

_'I am here.' _

Vael was somewhat soothed by that thought, but all her friends, all her companions... one by one, they had fallen away. Now she was the only one left. 

_'There could only ever have been one. Just as there is one of you, there is now only one of me. And soon... only you. That is the burden of what it means to be Divine. The true burden.'_

"But how? The Wellspring is gone... Dallis has the Aeteran..."

_'You and your half-demon friend are more clever together than you think. I am certain you will think of something.'_

Vael breathed a quiet little sigh as she wandered the stairs down into the interior of the ship. "Wishful thinking doesn't get me Divinity any more than it gets my eye back..."

_'That...' _As Vael stepped into the empty galley of the ship, Zorl-Stissa stepped out of her again. "... reminds me."

Vael looked to her curiously. "Reminds you of what?" She never thought she'd get used to the feeling of her Goddess coming and going like this, but... at least it was only possible in the Hall of Echoes? Maybe the Wellspring didn't count since that place had been full of loose Source as the Gods died...

Zorl-Stissa reached out, gingerly covering Vael's ruined right eye with her claws. "I promised you this."

"Yes, if I restored you. If..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'if Ifan rose', instead turning her head away from Zorl-Stissa's hand. "We failed... I failed..."

Clawed fingers took hold of her chin and turned her to look back to Zorl-Stissa. "Do I not look restored to you?"

"Yes, but-" Vael was silenced by a claw on her lips.

"It is good enough. Perhaps more than enough. I have been living on borrowed time for far longer than I have had any right to be." She slowly sat herself down on the ground before Vael, placing her hands, palms up, on her knees. "Even if you claim Divinity, somehow, I will eventually die." She looked up to Vael. "You know this. I know this." She pointed to Vael's ruined eye. "Let me do one last good deed before I'm gone."

Vael sighed softly under her breath. "This won't kill you, will it?" She slowly began to sink down into a seated position before her Goddess.

"No. But my days are numbered. This will... reduce the number, nothing more." She motioned for Vael to sit across from her.

"There's nothing I can do to save you, can I?" Vael sat, placing her hands, palms up, on her knees as Zorl-Stissa had.

"Unfortunately, Vaeltorya, sometimes there is nothing you can do to save someone. Divine, or not. Mortal, or not. Some things are simply out of your control. It is a lesson you have yet to learn." She reached across and took Vael's hands into her own, claws wrapped around her wrists. "Now relax. This... will hurt."

Vael closed her eye and swallowed hard, nodding once. She felt the Source flowing into her from Zorl-Stissa, bridging the gap between them. Immediately, she felt a searing pain at her eye and she gasped harshly, trying to pull herself back, but she felt rooted in place. She grit her teeth against the pain of it, trying to tug her hands free, to move her head back, but the magic between them acted as an anchor... She couldn't move.

Vael's mouth fell open as the pain grew, a scream choked in her throat as she felt like the right side of her head was going to explode. It hurt so bad she trembled, she shook where she sat, she felt like she was going to shake herself to pieces... and then it was over. Vael gasped for breath, reeling from just how badly it had _hurt_, and she could still feel a deep-seated ache in her bones.

"Now, my chosen... open your eyes." Zorl-Stissa's hands retreated from her wrists, freeing Vael to move.

She opened her left eye first, her heart racing, then, slowly... she opened her right. She sucked in a sharp breath as she realized she had both eyes again, and she stared openly at the Goddess before her, who sat with a soft, demure smile. "See? We Gods can be useful for something, now and again."

Vael launched herself across, wrapping her arms around the woman's glowing shoulders, tears running down her cheeks from both eyes. "Thank you... thank you..."

Zorl-Stissa started, then gently, awkwardly patted her Godwoken on the back. "You're ... welcome, my champion."


	58. Arx

After her sight was restored and her aching soothed with a long night's rest, Vael slowly pushed back out onto the deck. Her spirit visitors had left her behind, meaning save for the Lady Vengeance herself, and the passenger within her soul, Vael was alone. She did feel... good, though. Her limbs felt limber, her sight clear. It wasn't quite like she'd felt when Zorl-Stissa had first gifted her some of her strength, but it still felt... similar. She sent a probing little question down toward her passenger and felt her Goddess stirring.

_'It would seem that some of the extra Source you collected has stayed with you.'_

"But not to the point that I'm divine or anything like it. It feels like what you did, but... different. Not different enough to think it's something else, though." Vael felt a heat spreading through her, from her toe-claws all the way up to her head and the ends of her frills and back down again. It made her shudder uncomfortably. "What was that?"

_'It seems that it has increased your strength further than even I did. You will find things somewhat easier from now on... but given that the nature of the threats you face are themselves likely to be more dangerous than ever, that might be a necessary step.'_

Vael chewed her bottom lip as she considered this. "So you're saying that I'm stronger than I was even after your gift?"

_'So it would appear.'_

Vael nodded once, then looked toward the figurehead. She'd eaten, rested... She honestly didn't even know how long she'd been on the Nameless Isle. Had it really been a day or two? It had all gone by so fast...

She ventured up to the figurehead, the draconic visage turning back toward her. "Take whatever time you need to gather yourself, my friend. When you are ready, we can proceed."

Vael looked up to her, wondering if she should ask about what happened, but... "Dallis... told us." She looked behind herself to the empty space. "Told... me that... you led her to us on the Nameless Isle."

"Yes... I am sorry." The ship actually hung her head. "She had me built to her exact designs - not even I know all the ways in which she can control me. She was able to follow my wake like a shark. But I will see myself destroyed rather than be forced to betray you again, I swear."

Vael slowly nodded her head. "I understand. I don't blame you, you couldn't control how you were made... But I'm ready. Summon Malady from... wherever she's gone."

"It shall be done."

Malady's face was drawn; she seemed tired, somewhat subdued. She looked Vael over and squinted. "What's wrong with you. You seem... _happy._"

Vael frowned slightly. "No. Not happy. I feel... better. Whatever happened in the Wellspring, it didn't leave me divine, but it did leave me feeling... stronger. Maybe that's what you're seeing. But no, not happy. I won't be happy until we get to the bottom of this, until we truly figure out what's going on. Does Dallis really intend to draw all the Source out of the world with the Aeteran? Why did Lucian kill the other Godwoken, his teachers, sabotage the Academy, why did he kill the elves... And what about Sadha? If she really is 'sworn' to this God King, then we need a _Swornbreaker _to free her, and... where are we ever going to get one of those?" She threw up her hands. "Not to mention the Deathfog that's going to blow up Arx if we don't put a stop to it, all my friends are dead, and my God is dying." She stared at Malady, who just... watched her as Vael ranted. "I... No. I'm not happy. Things are weighing me down, in fact."

Malady nodded once. "Indeed... Indeed, as they should. I've had some time to think, and there's a few matters I want to discuss before we carry on. I doubt you've forgotten the death of Meistr Siva."

Vael's lips pursed at that, she'd been told to tell Malady no, to let her handle her own business, and yet... the half-demon elf had saved her life. More than once. "Yes, I remember. Of course I do."

Malady swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment, as though trying to dispel a dizzy spell. "She and I had a deal, you see. A deal that's now quite obviously defunct. Accord to its terms, I was to help you ascend to divinity, and she was to help me with... another matter. The details aren't important now. It's just... never mind. Another entangling alliance. But I won't be able to disentangle it on my own. There may come a time when I need to count on _you _as an ally." She stared hard at Vael. "So - are we? Allies, that is."

"You know I need to know more about this, right? I need to know what 'entangling alliance' you mean. But..." Vael considered for a few silent moments, well aware that Malady was staring at her expectantly. "You've saved my life. Multiple times. Nearly at the cost of your own." Vael held out a hand toward her. "I need to honor that. So yes, we are."

Malady took the hand and gave it a somewhat awkward shake. "I'm... glad to hear you say that. We _do _make quite the team, don't we. I found out where Dallis is heading. There's a great city not far from Driftwood - Arx, by name. It's controlled by Magisters, so you'll have your work cut out for you. We have to find out what hse's planning to do with the powers of the Seven." Malady paused. "Well, what's left of... the powers. And the Seven." She waved a hand. "You know what I mean. You'll need to find her and take back what she stole. And quickly - before she does something irreversible."

Vael nodded once. "Whatever she's doing with the Aeteran... I have a really bad feeling that we need to stop her from doing it."

"Dallis - or any of the others, for that matter - cannot be allowed to use the powers of the Gods. She doesn't understand what _must _be done. She doesn't understand how to rule."

Vael raised a brow at this. "How to rule? How do you figure that has anything to do with what she's doing? You think she's going to ascend? Couldn't she have just... done that?"

"It's quite simple, really. Chaos is a fact of life, surer than any other. Power is one of the few structures that can cut a line through that chaos. If wielded well, that line will mean stability, order. A comfort against the unknowable, changing forces of chaos. If wielded poorly, the line will mean domination, terror - different from chaos, but no better." She shook her head. "Whatever she uses it for. Dallis, and the others like her - they are little better than demons, really. They seek power at the expense of others - not to create stability, but to create servants." She pointed to herself. "Look at my face, Godwoken. What do you see?"

Vael raised a brow, wondering if this was supposed to be some kind of... trick question. "I see... you. That's all."

"I suppose we all see what we want to see. When I look in the mirror, I see balance. Balance between darkness and light. Between good and evil - whatever those categories mean." She looked at Vael. "When the time comes for you to ascend, remember my face. Remember that despite any shortcomings you might have, if you can bring a semblance of balance to the world, you'll have done as good as the Seven did. And if you can be stronger than them, you'll do all the better."

She gave Vael a little smirk. "The Seven are gone. Slain by _you_. With... some help." Vael smiled in return, hearing a disgruntled rumbling from within herself. "You have the potential - the obligation, even - to do better than they did. To create a better world than the world they made.

Vael breathed a quiet little sigh. "Malady, can I ask you a question? Before you... continue with what you were gonna say?"

The elven woman raised her brow.

"How can you be so certain I'm capable of that? I... still don't think I've ever been the best choice." She looked around herself, the empty space at her sides. "Even if... now I'm the only one."

"I just am. You can trust in me. I just am. Now - there's little time to spare. We need to get you to Arx. Find Dallis. Take back what she stole." She looked at Vael. "Shall we go?"

Vael took in a deep breath, then nodded once. "Yes. To Arx."

"Very good. How lucky for you I'm on your side. I am probably the only one masterful enough to transport an entire ship safely between the land of the dead and the land of the living."

Vael rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, yes."

Malady gave her a little mock salute. "Captain Malady stands at the ready!"

As Malady moved to the captain's wheel, Vael saw ahead of them that a massive portal to Arx had cracked open within the Hall. Vael moved to stand by the half-elven woman, to watch curiously as she did... whatever it was that she did, when the portal ahead of them suddenly shifted to a dark, swirling vortex. 

Vael looked to Malady, the elf gripped the wheel even tighter. "Argh! Lucian's balls... That bastard's going to ruin everything!"

The ship sailed into the vortex, winds whipping past them, shifting the entire ship as it creaked and groaned under the strain. "Brace!" Malady called. Vael gripped onto the closest thing she could find, the base of the ship's wheel itself. "Brace! Brace!"

There was a loud, rumbling, smashing crashing snapping sound and everything went dark.

As Vael slowly came to, she realized that there was rainwater pattering slowly down upon her face. Wherever they were... it was raining. It didn't rain in the Hall of Echoes... which meant that she was most likely not dead. She opened one eye, then the other, then flexed her toes and fingers... Nothing seemed to be missing... She slowly sat up to find Malady standing nearby, looking pointedly anywhere that wasn't Vael. It was then that she realized she was surrounded by... wood...

Her head swiveled, looking behind herself when she realized that that... was the ship. And it was not all in one piece. Her head whipped around to Malady and-

The woman groaned. "Ungh. Don't. Say. Anything."

Vael opened her mouth... then closed it again.

Malady groaned, her face twisting in pain. She fell to one knee, catching herself on her hands. 

Vael's face shifted from confusion to concern. "Hey... are you okay? What happened?"

Malady raised herself to her feet unsteadily. "Traveling between the... realms isn't easy, you know. It takes something from my soul each time. But never you fear: I've pulled a clever trick out of my sleeve. The Lady Vengeance stands in two realms at once. Her body here, her soul in the Hall of Echoes. You can still return at your leisure. Just ask me."

She gestured out over the island. "... at least I got us where we wanted to go. This is Arx... Well, the outskirts, anyway. This is where Dallis has fled, with the powers of the gods. This is where the path to Divinity leads."

Vael slowly shook her head, gathering herself up and back onto her feet. "So... what next?"

"Dallis must be stopped. She has stolen the powers of the Seven. You'll need to get the Aeteran back if you're to fight the God King. You'll need it if you're to ascend."

Vael rolled her eyes. "I knew _that_. I meant... where?"

Malady pointed. "Track her in Arx; find out where she's gone and _end _her. Take back the Aeteran and the powers of the Gods with it. You cannot fail, Godwoken; not for anything."

The lizard breathed out a quiet sigh, then nodded. "Okay. Fair enough."

Vael started to head off down the only path available to her until she realized- Tarquin survived! As she approached him, he looked toward her. "Not the finest of landings, though I suppose our dear vessel did well enough, given it's not exactly in its _natural habitat._" He looked behind him at the wrecked ship. "At least I can still access all of my tools in the Hall of Echoes... I wouldn't relish the prospect of scouring through all this wreckage to find what I need."

Vael raised a brow. "So what now for you?"

"Why, work of course." He looked up to her. "Anathema won't restore itself, I daresay. I shall finish what I started, aboard whatever remains of the Lady Vengeance in the Hall of Echoes." He looked back to the ship. "Come and find me later in the Hall of Echoes - I believe I'm rather close to having Anathema in working order..."

Vael gave him a little smile. "I look forward to it."

Vael looked back over her shoulder, about to look for Ifan... She closed her eyes and breathed a soft little curse. "Damnit... I'm never going to get used to that."

Shaking her head, Vael slowly continued down the path toward Arx. It was a winding, steep trail, but at least it seemed relatively safe... She came upon a small group of elves who ran toward her.

"You! You see the crash? The ship? Are there Voidwoken?"

Vael looked back up the slope, then to the elves. "I was on the ship. There were no Voidwoken involved."

_"Thank the Gods_," the woman spoke with a sigh.

Vael winced.

"There are Voidwoken within the city. I fear they are outside it, too. But it seems Lucian's spirit watches over us. We are spared... for now." She looked seriously to Vael. "Do as we do. Stay far away from Arx until the troubles clear."

Vael watched them run, then slowly shook her head. She needed to get to Arx, find Dallis... it didn't really matter what was happening in the city, she had to get in. Voidwoken or no... That's what she would do.


	59. Clues

As Vael approached the city gates from the hills above, she saw cats and wagons of every description stopped outside of the gates, abandoned. She moved closer, curious about them when citizens came running out of the city toward her. "Voidwoken! Run!"

Vael drew her blade and left the wagons alone, instead running into the city- she didn't know if there were guards fighting them or not, but if Voidwoken were trying to attack the city, she should do something about it. If the city was overrun, it would make her investigation that much harder, after all.

Running into the city, Vael passed more wagons, all abandoned, as well as a fair number of Magister-colors-clad corpses laying across the bridge over the city's moat. Ahead of her the city's gate was already smashed and burning and she could hear fighting coming from within. As Vael rushed in, more citizens fled out, but she could easily see why. Ahead of her stood a veritable army of Voidwoken fighting beleaguered Paladin defenders. 

"Do not fall among the fray, Paladins! Defend them to the last!" One Paladin captain or leader of some kind stood with her defense, fighting within a tight knot of Voidwoken. As Vael rushed forward, the pocket collapsed around them with one last scream.

Vael tore into the Voidwoken from behind, her blade singing as she crushed them. A cry went up from the remaining paladins, who rallied toward her as Vael fought her way to their side. "I don't know who you are, but it's good to see a friendly face!", cried one of them.

More Voidwoken joined the fray, flying in or tunneling up from beneath the walls, forcing Vael to stand at the Paladins' side until the last Voidwoken had fallen... or at the very least this wave of them had been defeated. More of those strange batlike Voidwoken that Vael had seen in the caves in Driftwood had appeared, she didn't know what created them but they looked so different from the others.

As a calm finally fell over the battlefield, Vael looked around herself at the remaining Paladins. "Is this all of you? What happened here?"

Before any of them could answer, a dark-skinned woman ran closer to her from within the city. "You! I read about a lizard matching your description in the latest dispatch. And now there'll be _another _tale about you for our war owls to whistle across the four corners of Rivellon. You saved my best Paladins by the skin of their teeth. The lads are brave, but they're no match for Voidwoken, 'specially right off the back of chasing down Magisters. I tell you, they'll be changing your name in the mess hall tonight."

Vael slung her blade across her back at this news, raising a brow. For one, she hadn't known there were 'tales' of her circulating Rivellon, for the other... Why were the Paladins fighting the Magisters now? Shouldn't they be defending the city together? Not that she was ever going to be upset about dead Magisters of course, not after what they'd done. "This dispatch, why did it mention me?"

"You whistled up a war owl to warn us about the Magisters, right? Lord Kemm mobilized all us Paladins against them that very hour."

Vael raised her brows even higher at that news. She hadn't imagined telling the Paladins that would have set them to war against the Magisters, but... then again they _had _been working with the Black Ring. "Listen, I need to find Dallis. The Hammer, she's with the Magisters."

The woman eyed Vael curiously. "You won't find the leader of the Magisters walking in the open in Arx! Not after what they've done. This is Paladin territory now. But check in with Lord Kemm, he's conducting an investigation of all the Magisters in the Barracks. _He _might know something about her whereabouts."

Vael nodded once. "Alright. The Barracks would be a good place to start looking regardless."

"You're free to do as you please. Though I don't expect you'll find the Arx you were expecting." The woman waved Vael through.

Curious about the somewhat cryptic wording, Vael ventured forward, but she came across at least some of the reason she might have been told that almost immediately. The bridge into Arx itself, past whatever fortification had been the bridgehead, was covered in corpses. Voidwoken, Magisters, Paladins. From the looks of things, the Paladins and Magisters had already been fighting when the Voidwoken appeared, meaning the bugs had attacked an already weakened city... Either 'luck' or something had told them when to attack, Vael didn't know.

The stench of burning flesh assailed Vael's nose as she wandered through the gates into the city itself. Several Paladins she passed seemed to recognize her, some even cheering to her as she walked past... it was an interesting thing, being known and _not _attacked for that knowledge, instead even being celebrated for it. She wondered what the others would have thought of that. It wasn't hard to find the Magister barracks within the city, all she had to do was follow the bodies.

As Vael walked toward the Barracks, a woman rushed to her side. "Please, you've got to help me! My wife - they want to kill her."

Vael looked around, confused, as far as the eye could see there were only Paladins. "Who does?"

"She didn't do anything wrong - she was just trying to save lives, but no-one will listen! You have to help, please? It's the Paladins, the other Paladins!"

Vael looked ahead and realized what she was looking at- some kind of ... impromptu court. A woman stood before the others, hands cuffed behind her back, and Vael looked to the woman who'd come to her. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Lucian's love! Thank you, but please - you have to hurry! Go!"

Vael pushed past her further into the courtyard at her pleas, trying to see if there wasn't anything she could do.

The scene before her seemed in so many ways familiar to what she'd seen before, back in Fort Joy. Someone accused, being 'shown off' to everyone else, a show of force and a display meant to inspire obedience... As Vael approached, the lead Paladin's icy blue eyes never moved from his prisoner. "You are interrupting a Paladin court, stranger."

"Court? This looks like a mob to me...," Vael muttered, but the man seemed to take no heed of her.

"You can call this a court until the end of days, Kemm, it's still a disgrace!" The bound woman looked back to him.

"The prisoner will be silent," he barked in reply.

"What's she accused of? What's she done to earn this kind of treatment?"

"We are beyond accusations. This once-Paladin is guilty of refusing orders and protecting supporters of the Black Ring."

"They were boys! Local boys that signed up for steady pay and a slick uniform." The woman looked to Vael. "A couple of White traitors doesn't mean every Magister is in league with the Ring."

Kemm shook his head. "At best, you are a coward. At worst, you are a traitor. In either case, the sentence is death."

Vael frowned. She'd stood by before, let the lizard be purged and murdered before her eyes... not this time. She slipped between Kemm and his prisoner, she wouldn't let him do this, not in the open, not like this, not before the woman's wife's eyes. 

For the first time since she'd arrived on the scene, Kemm actually looked to her, his icy eyes pinning her with a freezing look. "Step aside, stranger."

"I've fought the Black Ring and the Magisters. Many of the Magisters didn't know what the others were doing- the area where they kept the Black Ring was kept a secret from others, even in their own order!" Vael looked around herself, making sure the others could hear. "It's unlikely the rank and file here in the city knew anything at all about the Black Ring." She looked at Kemm. "I was the one who told Hardwin. This wouldn't even be happening if it wasn't for me. She _was _just saving some local boys... They wouldn't have known anything about what was happening."

He squinted. "I see... You have my thanks for that. You did us a great service. Now if you could do me one service more: stand aside."

Vael raised her arms, trying one last defense, even though she hated herself for it, speaking loud enough for the others to hear. "Is this what Lucian would have wanted? You to execute your own because they attempted to save the lives of a few young boys?" If that was truly all that this woman had done... she didn't know, at this point. Maybe Lucian _would _have had her executed, but if it gave the woman even a chance...

Kemm paused for half a moment, his eyes flickering to the troops around him. "Perhaps. Even in war, we may find space for mercy." He slowly sheathed his blade. "Very well, she will not die today."

The Paladin looked to Vael as Kemm turned away and silently mouthed 'thank you'.

"Find a cell for her!" Kemm pointed to his Paladins. "And the rest of you have your duties! Move!"

Vael frowned as she watched Kemm disappear further into the burning Magister barracks. She was starting to get the idea that working with this one was going to be harder than she thought. She slowly followed him inside- though he wasn't likely to be particularly happy with her after that, she needed to know if he had any idea where Dallis had gone.

As she approached, Kemm looked up to her. "It _was _you who sent us the war owl. Without you, the Black Ring-loving Magisters would still be in charge. I suppose you have earned the right to involve yourself in Paladin business. Just. This. Once." He motioned around himself, seated at a desk inside of what looked to have once been a library... what was it with the forces at work these days and destroying libraries? "All this is thanks to you, you know. If we hadn't found out what the Whites were doing in the Blackpits we wouldn't have known that they had to be stopped. I am in your debt."

Vael stood up a little taller as she faced them. "Then repay it by helping me. I need to find Dallis."

"The Lord Dead lies in the harbor, but the Hammer isn't aboard. Nor is she among the piles of Magister bodies. Should you hear anything, you are of course welcome to bring it to me. But rest assured, your help is not needed. My Paladins will find her, and she will face Divine justice."

_'He is just like Rhalic.'_ Vael frowned. It seemed he was having trouble listening to what she was asking for... or he just didn't care.

"You don't understand. I _need_ to find her." She wasn't about to mention that 'divine' justice was exactly why Vael was chasing her. "She stole something from me that I intend to see returned."

"Very well." He leaned over onto his desk, sifting through papers until he found what he was looking for. "We know that Dallis and the Whites conducted their heresy from these barracks. If they were all working for the Black Ring - and I believe they were - there must be some sign of it in this building. Perhaps even a safe house. We don't have much yet, but we will tear down every brick until we find their wretched hiding hole. And then we'll haul Dallis into the light."

"What have you found so far?"

"Not much. At least not yet. Perhaps you'd have better luck, given your credentials. The White Magisters were in these barracks when the fighting began - an entire cabal of them. If we find them, we will find Dallis. I have no doubt. They must have left some clue as they ran. Something that will lead us to their secret little den. Find it!"

Vael nodded once. "Before I go... what do you know about Dallis? Anything that could help."

"Who can truly know a diseased mind? She is rotten to the core, that I am sure of." Vael smirked, he could tell her something she didn't know, but she was already certain of that. "Although, much as I despise the creature, I have never known her to be a coward. She fought well in battles against the Black Ring. Wherever she's hiding, she will not go quietly."

Vael grinned, she fully intended to make sure of that. "Thank you for your help."

"I pray it helps. Voidwoken at one gate and the Black Ring at the other? We need to stop this madness." He looked at her. "Do you need anything more?"

Vael shook her head and turned away. "No. It's time to get looking."

"Enjoy the city, won't you." He called after her. "Arx is wonderful at this time of year."

Vael glanced back over her shoulder as she walked away. From what she'd seen, at this time of year it was a disaster... but maybe judging the city under attack from three sides wasn't the fairest thing she could do. She headed further into the barracks, she didn't know if she'd be able to find anything at all with what was weighing so heavily on her mind... Deathfog, Dallis, Sadha, the demon who'd taken hold of Lohse and set up here in the city... she didn't know what to do first.

As Vael wandered the barracks, she realized that she'd entered an area that seemed different from the others. As she looked around, she spotted more signs that something had happened here... Flammable items, beds, wood, old sacks, chairs, and furniture, had been piled around doors and windows, which made sense if the Magisters had been trying to keep the Paladins out, but then they'd been set on fire _from the inside_. Either weather or magic or water had kept the piles from burning completely through, but the outsides had been left untouched- the Paladins hadn't tried to burn the Magisters out, the Magisters had tried to burn themselves _in_. But what would possess them to do such a thing?

As she looked around the room, Vael came upon plaques on the walls, each of them numbered. She recognized them from research she'd done before all this happened, a passage in a book- she hadn't remembered them exactly, but she remembered that they were Magister tenets... things they'd based their order around. "Four... loyalty to the Divine. Two... order of society." She looked around for the others, finding them nestled in a corner together. "Three... discipline of body. One... purity of mind." Vael looked around herself at the four plaques. "Well, as far as I can tell, they were only following number four...", she muttered to no-one in particular.

Vael tilted her head as she heard another muttering coming from deeper within the barracks. "Never find it. Not even looking in the right spot." Who could that be?

As Vael rounded the corner into what looked like a large dining room, she spotted several traps resting around a corpse... and a spirit, muttering to himself. As Vael approached, he looked up to her, mocking her just like he had been the Paladins moments ago... that is, until he realized she could see him.

"What's this then? The Paladins resorting to bringing in _outsiders _to try and decipher my work?" He sneered at Vael, his spectral body bearing impressions of severe burn injuries... just like the corpse that lay on the floor. She supposed he must be the one who tried to start the fires. "No matter. You'll fail, just like them."

"Who're you, exactly?" This guy seemed to like to talk quite a bit for someone in charge of keeping secrets...

"I _was _the High Cryptographer for the Magister Order... until the Paladins killed me." Vael glanced past him to his burns. It looked to her like he'd killed himself, but she wasn't going to argue with him if it kept him talking. "Coded letters, passwords, security measures, all _my _creation. Now that I'm dead, you'll never decipher _any _of it. My work will outlive you all."

Vael looked around herself to the fire, then to his body. "Well... fire doesn't strike me as the most sophisticated encryption method..."

The spirit's smug demeanor gave way to an angry scowl. "Desperate measures made necessary by the _treacherous _actions of our so-called allies." The spirit glanced to his side for a split second, Vael tried to pretend she hadn't seen it. "My encryption guards the most important secrets."

"You say the Paladins are treacherous. They say you're traitors..." Vael put her hands on her hips. "Which is it?"

"My task was to protect secrets, not interpret them. But let me say this - the notion that we would have anything to do with the Black Ring is absurd - _patently _absurd!"

Vael considered this. So it seemed even their higher-ups didn't know anything about what they'd been doing in the Blackpits... Had Dallis gone 'rogue' without her Order realizing it? What could have pushed her to do such a thing? "Do you know anything else about Dallis?" It was a long shot, but...

"My very life's work was to hide key intelligence from the light of both sun and Source. What I know, and what I have seen, shall remain in shadow." Vael caught it again. The tiniest little glance to the side - he must have been looking at something.

"Okay then..." Vael stepped away from him, then looked toward where he'd been looking. There were smashed crates scattered across the floor and boxes piled high, but... She squinted. They'd taken everything from all the rooms in order to pile it and burn it... except this stuff, from _this _room. She moved closer to it and heard the spirit muttering something nervously, but as Vael leaned over and brushed some of the debris aside, she realized there was a hatch in the ground here.

A combination lock was embedded into the face of the hatch with four numbered dials. A sequence of numbers was engraved on the face of the mechanism, just above the four dials - 1 3 2 4. Vael smirked just a little bit. Where had she just seen four numbers... Each of the four dials bore four phrases that could be rotated into place. She leaned in closer, quickly working at the dials. So much for the master of security... Remembering what she'd read, Vael set them quickly. Purity of mind, discipline of body, order of society, then loyalty to the divine... Each Dial being set resulted in a quiet click, and when the fourth dial was set, deeper within the mechanism, Vael could hear the sound of gears turning and a bolt withdrawing... Then the hatch yielded, clicking open.

Vael heard an angry gasp from behind her. "What? No! It can't be - you cheated!"

She glanced behind herself at the startled and angry spirit. "Cheated...? You _left clues_." She shrugged. "It's not my fault they were easy to follow..."


	60. Secrets

As Vael left the blustering spirit behind and crawled down into the hatch in the ground, she didn't really know what to expect, what she'd find down here in the dark... Would Dallis be waiting? The rooms before her were quiet and still - no hidden Magisters, no ambush, there didn't seem to be anyone at all down here. She ventured forward into the dim rooms, exploring to see what might be found. She found a staircase deeper into the vaults, but she wrote it off for later... She found a book detailing a shipment of Sourcerers to Fort Joy, she recognized many of the names. This must have been the manifest for the one just before she arrived, or near enough to it...

The other room was lousy with traps, and Vael didn't find much else of interest in it- though she knew they weren't likely to trap it so significantly if it didn't have something in it to find. Vael was about to leave when she realized that the paintings scattered around the place were labeled - just like the plaques were on the floor above. Her suspicions now thoroughly aroused, Vael began to look more closely and shifting one of the paintings revealed that there was a hidden switch behind it.

Vael quickly searched the room and found more switches behind paintings, each one labeled the same as the plaques above. She smirked just a little bit, then tilted her head to the side. "They can't have used the same code in two places... did they?" She quickly walked around the room, pressing the buttons in the same order that she'd done the dials upstairs. When she pressed the last button, helpfully labeled "Divine", the walk next to her slipped inward with a click-_chunk_, then slowly slid aside... revealing the largest gold pile that she'd ever seen in her life. There was a secondary click and grinding sound from a different part of the room, piquing Vael's curiosity again.

She still had gold from when they'd found the Vault in the graveyard, if anything at this point it was just slowing her down, she couldn't remember the last time she'd spent money on anything, so the pile didn't interest her as much as it did otherwise. But learning what the Magisters were doing... A quick investigation found another door had slid open, this one hiding what looked quite a lot like an office. Inside was another spirit, she'd question him soon enough- a large book resting open on the desk caught her attention.

Within it were reports on herself, someone named 'Arhu'... she recognized the name, and the report listed him as "Keeper of the Temple", but he didn't seem particularly important to her at the moment, though the note that he could sneak away in cat form was amusing, and a report on Kemm. It seemed that neither side had trusted the other, the Paladins were ready to go to war with the Magisters on a moment's notice, and the Magisters were investigating the head of the Paladins... Rightly so, as Dallis was apparently worried that Kemm had learned of the Blackpits. He did, but not on his own.

The section on herself was interesting, detailing what she'd done, her escape from Joy, her dwindling companions, the things she'd done in the Reaper's Coast. There was even something written about what had happened on the Nameless Isle... news must travel quickly, somehow. She wondered how they'd communicated that so fast, she couldn't imagine anyone had gotten off the island as quickly as they did, though they did linger for some time in the Hall so Vael and Malady could rest...

She turned away from the book to look to the spirit. A resigned-looking White Magister, judging by the corpse he'd left behind. "You are no Magister. No Paladin either. Resourceful of you, to breach our inner circle... I'm sure Marwell must be fuming."

Vael smirked. "If you mean the 'High Cryptographer' maybe you should have found a better one... he left clues _everywhere_, you know."

The spirit slowly shook his head. "Does Arx still stand?"

"It does. Why?"

"Lately I was investigating possible threats to Arx. My inquiries led me to suspect that a dwarven enclave was planning something _significant _from within the city's sewers."

Vael held up a hand. "You're right, actually... But I didn't know they were in the sewers. I guess I know where I'm going next..." Vael's nose crinkled at the thought.

The spirit nodded. "They've long used the sewers for smuggling contraband, but something changed recently - they seemed nervous. More guards, more hidden chambers, more secrets... I fear that an attack against the city might be imminent. Good Queen Justinia seeking to take advantage of the disarray in the Order, perhaps."

Vael sighed quietly. "Deathfog, yes... Do you know of a way into the sewers?"

The spirit quickly informed Vael that there was an entrance to the sewers behind the Magister Barracks. They'd used it for smuggling scouts and reports out of the city and he told her where to find it. Quite helpful for a spirit, really.

"Do you know anything about Dallis? Where she's gone?"

The spirit offered a wry smile. "I'm in a poor position to keep tabs on the living. All I know is that Dallis arrived in the city, with a sizeable retinue for my White Magister brethren accompanying her."

Vael nodded once, then took a final look around herself. "Well... I need to find her, but if it doesn't seem like she's down here..." Vael had seen another hatch in the treasure room, and her curiosity wasn't going to let her leave until she'd seen what was down inside of it. She quietly slipped down the hatch into the room, a quick glance around the wall found for of the geists she'd seen before, usually surrounding Dallis herself, standing guard over something that looked quite a lot like the White Magisters had been planning to set the room ablaze. All around her were shelves of books, reports, knowledge covered the shelves... And up at the head of the room, below a statue of Lucian, a conspicuous chest... Vael wondered what it contained.

Vael waited until what she thought was an opportune moment, then dove into the fray with the geists. Though she'd been growing stronger over her adventure, still brimming with some of the Source released by the destruction of the Wellspring, that had been taken from the Gods when they attempted to attack them... these were the same old geists they'd fought all the way back on Joy. They fell incredibly quickly before Vael's blade.

After they were still, Vael went straight to the chest, opening it to reveal a book with a note sticking out of it. Opening the book, Vael read quickly, peering at the note for a moment before a name in the book caught her eye - Braccus. She knew the Magisters had been looking for Braccus' artifacts, so she read on, wondering if they'd found anything else of interest... What she learned chilled her to the bone.

The book detailed a plan, a plan to "Purge Rivellon from the evils of Source". The Magisters were planning to use the Aeteran to drain every last bit of Source from the world. Purge _the world_ of their Source. Vael's jaw dropped as she read onward, her hands shaking so hard she almost dropped the book. Everyone, every Sourcerer... The Magisters didn't know what they were doing! Dallis had lost her mind!

But that wasn't the only thing they'd done. The book finally informed her what Tarquin had done, why Dallis had captured him and forced him to work for her. Tarquin had resurrected Braccus Rex himself. The mad Source King, who'd devoured entire cities, entire villages to further his own power, who'd cursed anyone who stood against him, who'd been the most powerful Sourcerer the world had ever known until Lucian himself... Dallis was traveling with Braccus at her side, under the guise of Vredeman, her 'pet' that Vael had seen twice already.

Vael looked around herself, she couldn't believe what she'd learned. No wonder they were trying to burn everything, leave no traces behind... the Paladins couldn't find this, they'd tear the city to the ground looking for Dallis and Braccus, could throw everything into ruin under the guise of good intentions... She hurried around the room, looking for anything else that might tell her where they were, what they were doing, where she could find them. She found another book, this one laying open on the table. She quickly thumbed through it, searching for anything that might tell her what was going on.

Vael felt Zorl-Stissa stir inside of her at last. _'Their plan is madness.' _Vael shook her head, muttering under her breath as she read onward. "You're telling me!? We thought stealing the Wellspring was bad, but... they want to steal _all _of it." _'They would turn the world into Silent Monks.' _Vael nodded her head as she read through the book she'd found- this one detailed something called 'The Grand Design' and revealed that Dallis was especially interested in the Crypt of Lucian... where the late Divine's body had been deterred. "What level won't Dallis stoop to? She's going to desecrate Lucian's tomb!"

_'The remaining power from his ascension will linger on in his body, Vaeltorya... the remaining power of the Gods, of the Seven.'_ She stuffed this book, too, up into her armor, hoping to keep it out of sight away from the others. The last bit of the book that she'd read pointed out that the only person who knew how to enter Lucian's crypt was the Keeper, Arhu... no wonder the Magisters had been looking into him if they needed him to enter...

A very familiar spirit stared at Vael over the table as she looked up- she recognized this one. "You! You were at the Blackpits!" Vael pointed as she vaulted over the table to stand near him.

"Did you suppose you silenced me with your pitiable display of force? Were you so naive as to think Iw ould not come to watch my comrades make the ultimate sacrifice? Their courage is something you will never understand, _murderer_." 

"Strong words for someone who is planning to condemn millions to live as soulless husks... Do you even realize that your souls are made _of Source_? You'd purge yourselves!"

The spirit didn't seem to be listening to her. "Dallis is so very close to her goal. She will reach the Cathedral, she will enter the tomb... She will purge the powers of the Gods still raging within Lucian's holy corpse! This is how Lucian - even in death!- will become the savior of us all: with him, all Source will wither. With him, divinity itself will die. No Source, no Voidwoken - remember, _Sourcerer_? This is what we promised from the start! A cure that will save the world!"

"You've lost your mind. You would doom the world, not save it."

The spirit wasn't listening. "We _will _redeem Rivellon! No longer will you and your divine ambitions stand in our way."

"I'm going to find Dallis. I'm going to stop her. Dead or in chains, one way or another." Vael shook her head as she stared at the spirit.

Reimond's spirit smiled. The fanatical gleam in his eyes made him look almost alive once more. "This world is rotten, and the rot started with the Gods. We will all be better off without them. You should just stand aside and let it happen. But you won't will you? Do you even _know _what you'd do with these powers that you chase?"

Vael growled at the spirit, she was of half a mind to consume him now... But she didn't think even he deserved that. It would make her no better than Dallis, on a smaller scale, just consume someone like him. Alexandar, the Sallow Man, those who had started this mess who had seen to the deaths of countless others, maybe even Dallis herself... but Reimond was a just pathetic, angry man. "If all I did with them was keep them out of the hands of those like you... That would be enough." She shook her head. "You really have no idea what you're doing. It's almost sad."

"It's power-hungry fools like you that have made our actions so necessary. Rivellon needs to be saved from your ilk. Farewell, _Godwoken_. Enjoy the prestige of being among the last of your kind." As he finished speaking, the spirit faded away. Vael was _almost_ sad that Rhalic was dead... Reimond would get to wander the Hall of Echoes unmolested.

_'You should have consumed him.' _Vael shook her head. "He's deluded. He didn't start this mess. He was swept along..."

As Vael finished speaking, she heard footsteps descending into the Vault. All around her Paladins appeared, followed by their leader, Lord Kemm. 

"Excellent work!" Now that Vael had done the hard part, discovering the Vault and what secrets lie within, he was more than happy to see her. "I had my doubts about you, but I am happy to be proven wrong." Kemm looked around the room, then returned his eyes to Vael and gave an imperious nod. "With that out of the way, I'm sure you've prayers to submit and acquaintances to greet. My Paladins will see to any further concerns. Goodbye, now."

Vael opened her mouth to speak, she was about to tell Kemm where Dallis was planning to go, but something made her stop. He seemed far too eager to shuffle her on out of here, and it made her suspicious. She casually placed a hand upon her breastplate, keeping the books hidden beneath it from shifting. "As you wish, Kemm."

He gave her a suspicious look as she agreed to leave so quickly, he looked as if he was about to say something to her, then turned to his Paladins instead. "Paladins, turn this place upside down! I want every nook, cranny and spider web examined." He looked to Vael. "If there's nothing else, we have a lot to do..."

Vael slowly shook her head. "No. I'll be going now." As Vael hurried off, away from Kemm, something made her frills tingle... She'd heard humans describe a similar feeling, the 'hairs on the back of your neck standing up'... Something about this whole situation just seemed... wrong, and Vael was going to figure out what. Something about Kemm wasn't sitting right with her at all. But first... Vael needed to speak to Tarquin. She needed to confront him about what he'd done.

If Braccus Rex truly had returned to the world, if the Source King was back, Dallis had no idea who she was dealing with.

Vael rushed back up to the Lady Vengeance's crash site as quickly as her claws would carry her. Malady really needed to reposition herself closer to the city or something, if she had to come back more than once this trek was going to get out of hand. As Vael approached, Malady was all smiles and pleasantries... until she saw Vael's expression. "Godwoken? What's-"

"Ship! Now!" Vael wasn't in the moon to explain herself, she needed to see Tarquin immediately.

Malady raised a brow but did as Vael asked. There was a shift in the space around herself and she found herself standing on the decks of the Lady Vengeance once again... sort of, anyway. Vael placed her hands at her sides and draw in as deep a breath as she could. "**TARQUIN.**" 

Malady stumbled off to one side at the shout, looking at Vael before she stared out over the ship, obviously not wanting to be him right now.

As Vael stood and waited, Tarquin sauntered over. "You must truly savor my company, Godwoken. Something you wanted."

Vael grabbed him by his shirt collar and lifted him off the ground. "I knew there was a reason you 'didn't remember' what you'd done under Dallis' instruction," She snarled. "_Does the name BRACCUS REX ring a bell!?_"

Tarquin's jaw tightened as he stared down at her, most of his suave deflection vanishing in an instant. "I dabble in all forms of learning... necromancy included. Can you really blame me for being talented? Can you really blame me when I'm _forced_ to use my skills against my will?" he raised his arm, letting his sleeve fall down, revealing the damaged flesh from where Dallis had controlled him. He didn't say anything else, staring at Vael as the realization set in.

Vael stared at him, then the arm, then back at Tarquin... then she looked down, seeing his feet hanging several feet off the ground. She slowly lowered him back to the deck. "I'm... I'm sorry, Tarquin. I just..."

He slowly brushed himself off as some of his suave nature returned. "Dallis willed it and I was in no position to refuse. She wanted to use Braccus to sniff out the Aeteran - to use a tyrannical king as her personal bloodhound, so she could get her hands on the most powerful purging device the world's ever seen. She thinks she can control him. She is wrong. A creature like him will find a way to break his shackles. He must be eradicated. That's why I sought the pieces of Anathema - it's the only thing that can slay him."

"You knew about this _all along?_" Vael stared at him. "You didn't think to say anything?"

"And what would you have done? Attacked him? Without Anathema, you are _nothing_ to Braccus." Tarquin began to walk away as he continued speaking, and Vael followed him. "What could possibly best the greatest act of necromancy ever performed? _Reversing it_, that's what."

Tarquin walked to a set of barrels near the entrance to the lower decks of the ship. "When we returned to Arx, I knew you would need this, one way or another, sooner or later." He shifted the barrels aside, revealing a long, cloth-wrapped bundle hidden behind them. He picked it up, holding it across his hands, then presented the bundle to Vael. "Take it. Keep it close."

Vael reached out to take the sword from him, holding it in one hand while she unwrapped some of the cloth from around the blade. A gleaming, crystalline sword peered up from the cloth toward her. She could hear the quiet whispers wafting up from the weapon. _'Connected as one, the past and present slain...' _She looked up to Tarquin in surprise. "You finished it?"

"Of course I finished it. It was almost done when we 'landed' in Arx." He looked to Malady, who was lingering nearby to watch the exchange. "But there is something you need to know."

"It will be destroyed after one use."

"It will-" He paused, looking to Vael... He almost _actually_ seemed impressed for once. "Yes. You _must_ use it on Braccus. No other. If used on anyone else, the blade will shatter." He mused. "Unless there's a god lying around."

Vael squinted at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"The weapon was intended to be used against the Gods. Against _them,_ it would not break. Not until they were all slain. But unless you intend to turn it against your friend..." He shrugged his shoulders. "All the others are dead."

Vael looked down at the weapon in her hands again. "It's so beautiful. It's a shame it can't be used."

Tarquin smirked. "Well, it could. If you wanted to render all your and my efforts useless after the first strike." He looked up to her. "Braccus. No one else. Remember that."

Vael slowly wrapped the blade back up, nodding her head. "I understand, Tarquin." She looked up to him, to the ruffle in his clothes where she'd grabbed him. "And... you know. Sorry about... that. Again."

He looked down at himself and adjusted his clothes to hide the wrinkle. "No great work is done without a little spilled paint."


	61. Sewers

Vael looked at the wrapped weapon in her hands and she had to admit that she didn't know what to do with it. Anathema, one of the most powerful weapons ever created... and she couldn't use it. She felt a hand on her shoulder and Vael looked back to find Malady looking at her. "Give it to me."

"What for?" She had to admit she was suspicious- if this was really as strong as it was supposed to be...

"Because I can keep hold of it and bring it to you when you need it." Malady moved to stand around in front of her with that little smile that Vael had come to know all too well. "We'll know when it's time."

Vael breathed out a little sigh, then against her better judgment slowly handed the weapon to the half-elf. "I really hope I don't regret this."

"Have you ever regretted anything I-" Malady looked to Vael, who was staring at her. "Okay, don't answer that. Point is... you can't carry this around with you. So..." She gently began to pluck Anathema from Vael's hands. "Leave it with me..."

Vael resisted... for a moment, then let Malady pick it up. "Okay, okay. I swear if you stab me with it..."

Malady grinned as she held the cloth-wrapped crystalline blade in her hands. "I'm pretty sure that won't be necessary."

Vael watched her for a few moments more, then turned and moved toward the edge of the ship. She removed the books she'd placed in her armor- the Hall of Echoes was more than safe enough for these secrets, Kemm wasn't going to get them here- then looked back to Malady. "I need to go back to Arx."

She didn't even hear Malady reply. There was a quick noise, like a snap of the fingers, and Vael found herself standing in the middle square of Arx, just outside the Magister Barracks. Somewhat confused, Vael looked around- she'd been expecting to end up right back outside the ship, instead, she stood near a statue. She'd seen statues like this in a few places but didn't know who they depicted. She shrugged her shoulders and moved on- if Malady could do things like that, it'd be nice if she'd do it more often.

Vael headed back into the Barracks, intending to find the sewer entrance she'd been told about. She found the location easily enough, following the instructions she'd been given, and lowered herself down the side of the city to the culvert below. There was a body there, clutching a book. She supposed he was one of the Magisters, trying to flee the barracks, and was either wounded or hurt himself in the descent and died. The book proved interesting, however, speaking of someone named "Toyseller Sanders". He seemed to design puppets using Source, meaning he was a Sourcerer, but had designed the 'Path of Blood' in the Cathedral and was a friend of Arhu, so the Magisters couldn't ship him off.

Vael had heard of this Path of Blood before, some sort of test in Lucian's Cathedral, meant to find someone 'worthy'. She knew the questions and knew that she wouldn't be able to pass them, just the first one "Have you ever Stolen?" would disqualify her immediately- the statue of Lucian within was famously strict and anyone who failed, died. If she had to pass that to enter the Cathedral she imagined everyone was safe, at least for now... Dallis wouldn't be able to enter either, with all she'd done. But it did mean she'd have to find a way around it if she wanted to get into Lucian's crypt. 

Vael put the book aside and looked to the sewer grate. Her nose was already protesting about what she could smell from within, but she knew that she didn't really have a choice. If she was going to find the Deathfog, this is where she was going to have to start looking.

The sewers themselves were pleasant _enough_ she supposed if she ignored what she was walking in and the smells, but they were conspicuously large... They were almost arranged like old city streets, and she wondered if they had been built onto the ruins of an older city or something like that- she admittedly hadn't done much reading on Arx, so she didn't know. Might be a topic to look up if she ever had the time, or if she didn't die on her journey... With what was arrayed against her, all alone, she knew that was a distinct possibility.

_'You are not entirely alone, my champion. Not yet.' _Vael couldn't help but smile at the quiet reassurance. It did help, knowing that she wasn't _completely_ alone, but she did miss her companions. Her journies had been a lot more... quiet. It did give her more time to think, but she wasn't sure she enjoyed the tradeoff. Still, Zorl-Stissa's warmth within her was comforting, but she couldn't help noticing that she was still slowly fading...

Musing upon these sorts of things helped to distract her from her surroundings, though perhaps her thoughts had been _too _good at distracting her. As she climbed a ladder, she realized that a teddy bear arranged on a barrel head of her had 'clicked'. Before she could think about that for too long, however, it began to tick at a rapidly increasing pace. Eyes widening, Vael simply let go of the ladder and crumpled to the ground as the teddy bear above her exploded. Shrapnel and flaming debris rained down from up above as the platform caught fire.

Vael pursed her lips at it, at least that confirmed that she was getting somewhere- no one would set a trap in the sewers like this if there wasn't something behind it to hide. As she continued on, she found a ladder even deeper down- this one cut through the floor she was currently standing on... and if anyone was going to go digging around beneath Arx, it was probably the Dwarves.

As Vael climbed down the ladder, she realized that before she hadn't _really _been in the sewers... _These_ must be the actual sewers. They were darker, more cramped, and above all... they smelled much, much worse. As she wandered the tunnels, she had to admit that she'd expected a fairly large sewer system beneath the city, but she hadn't expected _this._ It was almost like a city below the city, platforms, and tunnels and everything else. She passed through an area with spiderwebs but thankfully didn't see any spiders, she'd never liked them... especially if they were as big as those spiderwebs suggested. 

She spotted a spirit not too far away, a Dwarf, and ventured closer to see what he had to say- nothing that didn't confirm what she already knew, seeing royalty in the sewers, but what was _behind_ him... that was what she'd been looking for. She pushed past the spirit as he rambled about some 'big score' he might have gotten from the Queen if he hadn't had died, staring at what was in front of her. Crates of Deathfog. And not just a few crates... The entire cargo of the Peacemaker must be here. It really had made it to Arx.

Vael stepped up to examine the crates, her heart racing. If even one of the crates was damaged, if she jostled it and set it loose... She didn't imagine having a Goddess inside of her, or all the Source strength in the world would keep Deathfog from killing her. But as she got closer, she realized something that was even more terrifying than finding the crates themselves- they were _all empty._ They must have just been storing the empty crates down here, the Deathfog itself was already gone... But to where, Vael didn't know.

She noticed a rat scurrying along the floor, but as she watched it, it vanished _under _a nearby wall and disappeared. She frowned... Stone walls didn't usually have gaps underneath them. As she stepped away from the empty Deathfog crates and toward the wall, she realized it wasn't stone at all- it was just a wooden door painted to _look like_ stone... and somewhat crudely at that. She imagined this was either related to the Deathfog or whoever had dumped the empty crates here hadn't been in too much of a hurry to examine their surroundings if they missed this.

As Vael pushed the door open, she was greeted by a... small child? She was terribly confused now. She looked up, following the sound of extremely poor piano playing to find a... troll? playing the piano. Nothing about this room made any kind of sense whatsoever. Vael realized the child who'd greeted her had asked her a question. "Whatcha doin'?" The little girl looked Vael square in the face- she couldn't have been older than ten, if that- she didn't smile, didn't frown, and definitely didn't look shy.

"Uh... hi?" Vael stared at the girl. "What are _you _doing down here?"

"I live here, silly. You don't. I need to think about this." The little girl considered it for a few moments. "Hmm. Now that you're here, can't very well leave. Suppose you told someone? Nah, that wouldn't do. Nah, you'll just have to die. I'll get my troll to do it."

"_Excuse me?_" Vael stared incredulously down at the girl before her, pushing the door the rest of the way open as she did.

"Yeah, that's what we'll do. The troll will fix it. And then you'll be dead."

Vael stared, mouth half-open at the little girl, wondering if this was some kind of joke... but the girl definitely didn't seem like she was joking. "Look, I'm not going to tell anyone, you're not going to call your troll, and nobody's going to get hurt, okay?"

The girl considered this. "Well... maybe. We'll see. But you'd better be good!" She stared Vael up and down. "Hey. Got any money?"

Vael squinted. "That depends on what you're selling...?" She'd just been threatened, found out there were children and trolls- she still wasn't sure where those came from- living in the sewers... and now apparently she was being sold something.

"Stuff. You know. Cool stuff. Mostly." The little girl hooked her thumb over her shoulder. "We've got a painting. You know. A big one." She looked up to Vael, looked the lizard up and down. "You're big. I bet you'd like it."

"A... painting?" Her curiosity piqued, Vael motioned for the girl to move on. "Show me."

As the little girl lead her further into their... home, if she was calling it that, she realized it was _full_ of things, most of which were most likely stolen, probably carted off by the trolls. Chests, barrels, pieces of art, carpets, furniture, bags and boxes and sacks and crates _full_ of food... and one, massive painting. Vael took in a breath when she saw it. She knew what that painting was! The Second Passion of Lucian. She'd seen drawings of it in art books, there were imitations of it even in the Ancient Empire back home... but this was the real thing. She knew it. She knew it because this painting had a Source 'ghost' that she could just barely see lingering around the edges of it- that confirmed what she'd read about it in the books, that the painter had used his own blood and Source to create the original... it also confirmed that this _was_ the original. But how the hell would she get it out of here...?

Vael kept her thoughts to herself as the girl stopped in front of the painting. "This one. D'you want it?"

"It's... certainly interesting, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's alright." The girl shrugged.

"Where'd you get it?" Vael looked curiously at her. She'd thought the original three - since this was the second of a set - had been lost somewhere...

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." The girl squinted up at Vael.

Vael pursed her lips, then looked down at her. "That's a shame. I bet it's a really fun story."

The girl screwed up her face. "I stole it from Lord Kemm's house, didn't I? And so what? I only took one of them. The other two were too heavy."

Vael blinked. _Kemm_ had the paintings? Whatever for? Shouldn't he have donated them to the Cathedral or something, being a Paladin? More things about him weren't really making sense... "Where? Were they... in a bedroom, or...?"

"Got a map?" Vael raised a brow and nodded, showing her the map of Arx she'd gotten from the Lady Vengeance before ... well, before it had shattered across a mountainside. The little girl quickly scribbled on it near Lord Kemm's estate. "There's a pull-y thing here, and then a pool with no water and a hatch in it. Easy."

A hidden vault accessed through a draining lake where Kemm had kept the tree Passions of Lucian. That definitely wasn't suspicious, villain-y behavior in the slightest. Vael certainly hadn't read a book where the villain's lair wasn't in an extremely similar place. More things about him weren't adding up by the moment. "So... is the painting for sale?"

"Yeah... No." The little girl frowned up at Vael, crossing her arms.

"But weren't you gonna let me buy it before?"

The girl squinted up at her suspiciously, then crossed her arms. "Okay... you can have it for... this much." She held up her hands, forming a one and a zero. "And... two more zeroes. That's a big number. You're a big lady."

A _thousand_ gold? Vael pursed her lips, she _might _have that much, and it's not like she was spending it on anything else... She considered, looking toward the painting. She began to look through her coin purse. "This might take a minute."

" 'm not goin' anywhere." The girl scratched at the side of her nose.

Vael counted out the coins- she was glad they'd found that vault in the graveyard or she wouldn't have had anywhere near enough- and this almost bankrupted her. Finally satisfied she had the right amount of coins, she pushed the purse containing them toward the girl. "Here."

Her eyes went wide as she realized Vael was actually going to pay her and she took the bag- Vael could see a moment's realization where she might have been able to ask for more, and decided to interrupt before she could get any ideas.

"So how do I get it out of here?"

"The same way I got it _in _here, stupid."

"A troll?"

"Of course not." The girl walked to the painting and picked it up- as soon as she did, it shrank itself down, Source-ghost and all- until it fit comfortably in her arms. "Like this, silly."

Vael just... stared at it, then _very carefully _reached out and took it from the girl's arms. "I, uh... thanks." Vael carefully placed the shrunken painting into her pack, then wrapped whatever she could around it in order to keep it as safe as possible. "You know, those crates outside..."

The girl shook her head. "My daddy once said 'don't go the toilet on your own doorstep'. Then my mum chased him away for going in the bedroom. Them crates belong to dwarves. We leave 'em alone. The crates _and _the dwarves."

Vael stared at her. "You're a very smart kid."

"I know." The girl looked up at Vael. "You gonna leave yet?"

Vael looked around herself, then nodded her head. "Sure. Good luck with your, er... trolls."

"Whatever."

Vael excused herself to head back into the sewers. Piano-playing trolls, children with priceless paintings, and said paintings could shrink themselves down to be travel-sized. What a strange day. The worst part was that it probably didn't even register on the scale of strangest days she'd had _this week_.


	62. Deathfog

Vael left the little girl and her stolen treasures and the trolls behind in their home, carefully closing the door behind herself as she went. As long as they didn't get discovered, they _might_ be okay? She honestly wasn't sure, but at least the Deathfog would scare off the casual observer and they seemed to have avoided the Dwarves for this long. She made sure that her pack was back on her back and secure, then headed off further into the sewers.

Ahead of her, she found a path of traps placed into the floor, however, she noticed something interesting about it right away. There were blood, dead rats and other things scattered across the pathway she could see... except for a thin strip more or less down the middle that was clear and the metal of the traps had been burnished by passing feet. She placed a foot carefully upon the foot-polished floor, and painfully aware that she no longer had anyone with her who could heal her if things went badly, gently pressed her foot down upon it. When nothing happened, she took another step... then another. She followed the burnished path to the end, breathing a soft sigh of relief once she'd crossed it.

Vael pushed onward through the sewers, wondering if she'd have had an easier time of it if she'd taken Lohar's advice and gone to the wedding... but she'd honestly not considered it. Now that she was thinking about it, she imagined getting stuck at a wedding would have been a horrendous waste of time when she already knew that the Dwarves were in the sewers... Though if she did get stuck somewhere in her wanderings, that could be a problem.

She traveled more trapped pathways, sometimes having to just rush across them, sometimes crawl along to be underneath traps as they shot magical bolts from holes in the walls, but eventually, Vael managed to navigate her way through toward what appeared to be a dead end. Though... judging by the presence of more Deathfog crates, she imagined she was just missing something. As she had a look around herself, searching for anything that might give her a clue as to how to proceed, she finally noticed that some of the bricks on the wall before her were discolored. Not just discolored, but discolored uniformly in a 'circle' of sorts around a missing brick.

Vael squinted, that definitely looked like a place she might need a key - she was definitely starting to regret not going to the wedding - but she didn't have any keys with her that were brick-shaped. Though she did have... Vael started to look around herself for where or what the key she was missing might open. A hidden wall, a stairway, anything... She imagined whoever'd built it hadn't counted on a Godwoken coming through attempting to gain entry. She gave each wall a gentle little shove, but for her, a 'gentle' shove was still rather substantial, trying to see if any of them had any give at all to them. On the fourth or fifth attempt along a different section of the wall, she felt the wall move.

Now with a target, Vael planted her feet against the stones underneath, curling her claws around whatever bit of grip she could find and began to shove. At first, nothing happened. Maybe a little vibration, a tiny little bit of give, but the wall didn't move. As Vael continued to push, taking in a deep breath, starting to strain herself against the stone, she heard a distinctly metal whine. She continued to push, digging her claws into the ground beneath her, starting to shift even some of the looser stones that made up the floor- there was a sharp _crack_ and the wall gave way, shoving inward with a screech of metal.

Now that the wall was sufficiently damaged, Vael just had to arrange herself underneath it and shove upward, pushing it wide enough that she could slip through the crack. She panted with the effort once she finally made her way through, then slowly brushed stone dust off of her hands as she looked back. "Yeah... Not conspicuous at all, Vael. Nobody's going to notice that." She shook her head, then looked around the new room she was in - definitely somewhere she wasn't wanted. More Deathfog crates, but most importantly... a way deeper. She hurried down the stairs.

Nearly as soon as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs she was met by Dwarven guards- most likely the ones the thief's spirit had mentioned before. She was in a massive vault that looked very new compared to everything else down here, it was even relatively clean and didn't smell half-bad. There was, of course, the problem that she was now surrounded by guards who had very sharp spears pointed directly at her neck. One had even gotten a little too 'friendly' and she could feel a little bead of blood slowly running down her scales.

"Halt! State your name! Now!" One of the guards gave her another jabbing. She never imagined she'd die at the hands of _dwarves_ of all things. Dallis, Braccus Rex, Voidwoken, those she could imagine... not dwarves.

She heard a voice coming from deeper in the vault and Vael finally managed to look at something other than the angry little dwarf she was currently being stabbed by- more Dwarves! Joy of joys. But one of them looked to be... decidedly regal. The other... not so much. Something about the woman who'd spoken set off all of Vael's 'this is a bad person' alarms, but then again she was currently being stabbed so they might be on high alert. "Oh, for goodness' sake, woman: lower your spear. That is no way to greet a guest." Okay, maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

"Isbeil. I've not known you to be so... _welcoming _to strangers." The more regal-looking Dwarf that Vael could only assume to be Queen Justinia based on pictures she'd seen and descriptions she'd read spoke up. Vael frowned... She thought she'd heard that name somewhere before... Isbeil.

"Have I yet to disappoint Your Highness in matters of security?"

"Your Majesty...?" The very angry woman with her spear jabbed into Vael's neck looked back toward the Queen.

The Queen relented after a few tense moments. "Do as she says. Lower your spear."

To Vael's _great_ relief, the Dwarven woman released the pressure on the spear at Vael's neck and stepped back. "Yes. Of course, my Queen." She looked to Vael and snarled. "If you put even one _claw _out of line, I'll have your head."

Vael gave the tiny, angry woman a very serious nod, then walked forward toward where the Queen and her Advisor were speaking amongst themselves. As Vael approached, Isbeil gestured toward Vael and began speaking in a very grandiose tone. "Your Highness. Bloom of Duna, Flame of the Forge. I present to you: The Seed of Divinity."

Vael wasn't sure she was the 'seed' of anything, she was probably more like the soil at this point, but that really seemed like semantics... and she decided it would be very wise to not say anything about Duna.

Queen Justinia sucked in her cheeks, then offered Vael her unwavering hand. Vael respectfully bowed her head(very far down, considering she was tall and Justinia was... well, a Dwarf) and planted an honorable peck on the back of her gloved hand. The Queen retracted her hand and rewarded Vael with a curt nod. "An audience is granted; I am yet too intrigued to give my leave. Now tell me, Isbeil: Why do you allow this woman before me?"

"My Queen: The scaled specimen before you is a Godwoken - a claimant to the divine throne." She gestured toward Vael.

The Queen wrinkled her face and gave Isbeil a sideways glance. Isbeil's red-brown eyes met her gaze head-on. "Many have laid claim to Lucian's legacy, including his own inferior spawn. I presume our visitor has more than a vague title to boast of?"

Vael began to speak when Isbeil continued, interrupting her- "She has escaped the island prison to which the Order confined her. A feat deserving a modicum of respect."

"A refugee from the Joy, then. Impressive. Few avoid the Magisters' watchful eyes. Can this Godwoken declare other triumphs, Isbeil?" The Queen seemed... almost literally spellbound by the other Dwarf's speech. Vael began to glance between the two of them curiously.

"The Godwoken arrogated the Lady Vengeance - the very vessel that terrorized the high seas under the Hammer's command."

The Queen's eyes grew wide and she nodded appreciatively, then looked to Isbeil to continue the ovations.

Vael, however, had had enough. "My Queen, I regret to be so rude... but what the hell are you doing down here with Deathfog?"

Isbeil smirked slightly. "Such an excellent question, but a bit premature, don't you think? We adhere to a certain decorum in this court. I am certain you understand." The Queen, still, apparently, spellbound, didn't even acknowledge the question.

Vael frowned up at the strange Dwarf. All of her alarms were starting to go off again, and it was making her uneasy. "Just what in the hells are you two _doing_ down here? You're going to kill the whole city?"

"Goodness. I've met street urchins with more manners. I'd think you would have more respect for ceremony." She stood up to her full, if still _Dwarven_ height, and stared down at Vael. "Well. I see no reason to mince words, Godwoken. You're here to die."

That seemed to finally snap the Queen out of her strange reverie. "Isbeil! Whatever's gotten into you? Malodorous it may be, but this is still a court, not a gallows!"

"Your Majesty. The Godwoken is no ally, but an enemy. She would throw your plans in disarray. You have worked so hard. Arx _must _fall to the Deathfog."

Vael stepped forward, trying to, at least symbolically, put herself between Isbeil and the Queen- the strange woman seemed to have some kind of hold over her, and Vael intended to interrupt it. "Isbeil seems to have you under a spell, your Majesty. Was attacking Arx _truly_ your plan? Killing thousands?"

The Queen seemed to snap out of whatever thrall had been placed over her. "I... I am no _monster_! Isbeil. What say you?" Justinia turned to Isbeil, looking for answers, or comfort- and Isbeil began to chuckle. Her laugh was low and measured at first, but grew in magnitude until she could barely breathe.

"Oh, but you're a clever one, aren't you, Godwoken? Fine- I'm tired of pretending I serve this weak wench, anyway. But it doesn't matter. You can't stop the Deathfog. The wheels are in motion."

Vael snarled, drawing her blade. "I'd like to see you stop me."

"Isbeil!?" The queen stepped back from her seat at the table where they'd been holding 'court'.

"Shut your royal maw, Justinia. Arx will fall, and your memory writ. They will believe it was _your _will. _Your _plan. _Your _command."

Vael began to advance up the stairs. "Over my dead body."

For a moment, Isbeil appeared almost... relaxed. Her eyes flashed blue; her face quivered.

The Queen stepped back. "... Isbeil?"

"My queen - forgive me. I... I..." Isbeil screamed in pain and clutched at her head. She bobbed and swayed, muttering to herself. Vael could make out precious few words, but she recognized the language: it was the Eternal tongue. Then, the woman stood up straight again. _"The Covenant will be kept. I serve you with living and dying breath, my King. Glory be to you!"_

Too late, Vael rushed up the stairs, intent on taking her head. There was a massive blast, the type of blast that Vael had only ever seen once before, way back on the Merryweather, the ship that had carried her most of the way to Fort Joy, where everything had begun... the same type of blast that the Sourcerer had used to summon the Voidwoken who destroyed the ship.

Vael's head swam, she felt herself being carried, aftershocks of the blast wracking her body with tremors. She heard someone shouting her name, over and over, but couldn't bring herself to remember who... everyone else had died, hadn't they? Her world seemed to swim in and out of consciousness, she didn't know how long she'd been out. She felt cold, hard stone beneath her back as the shouting in her head slowly turned into a coherent voice. _'Vaeltorya! You're awake. You have to wake up. You have to get up!' _She remembered that voice. Remembered who it was. Her eyes slowly regained focus as she realized she was staring up at the cold gaze of a thousand stones staring back down at her - and the hot gaze of the dwarf Isbeil, right hand of the Queen.

"Oh good - you're awake." Isbeil looked down at her nails. "At first, I figured I'd just kill you, but then I thought, 'Isbeil. You're wasting an opportunity here!' Don't bother thanking me just yet, though. I dare say you'll be begging to die before long. I'll start with lesser toxins, just to see how you react - and take it from there." She looked to a series of levers and valves at her side. "How strong a dose can a Godwoken handle?" She gingerly fingered the levers and valves- it was becoming rapidly clear that she'd done this before, many times before. "How long _does _it take for one to succumb? So many questions!"

She tried to struggle, to move her hands, her feet, her toes, her tail - _anything - _but nothing would respond. Her mind still somewhat-groggy, she heard Zorl-Stissa speaking calmly to her once again. _'Take a deep breath, my chosen... Focus on the Source. Let it sustain you.' _Vael could not move her arms, her legs, her head: they were no match for the pull of gravity. Her lips opened to reply, but no words spilled forth. Isbeil had paralyzed her. Only her eyes were free to move, she could _just_ breathe.

Isbeil 'tsk'd' quietly as she saw Vael's eyes twitching, though she obviously could not know why. "Don't fight it. You'll only make things worse. Oh, but I've been so rude. You should know the real me." Isbeil pulled at her face - Vael's eyes widened as it just... pulled away. Behind it was the skull of an undead - judging by the state of her bones, she'd been that way for quite a while. The mask, and it's magic, pulled away, revealing her skeletal form, just like Mordus... Vael should have assumed.

Vael breathed in as deep a breath as she could, in her current state it was painfully little, but she pulled it in and held it all the same as she saw Isbeil's hands moving toward the levers and valves at her side. Isbeil seemed to be able to tell she was doing so. "Do try to relax. The harder you fight, the harder the experiment will be on you." Isbeil yanked on one of the levers, Vael closed her eyes and struggled to do as Zorl-Stissa commanded.

She could feel poison flowing in over and across her, as she lay there, doing her best to hold her breath... she'd pulled in so little, she needed to breathe! _'Calm. Focus.' _As she drew on the Source within, what tiny amount she could, she felt her burning lungs soothed, just that tiny fraction.

Isbeil spoke from above as the poison began to dissipate. "Hmm. Interesting. Some of the results are quite unexpected." She touched another lever as Vael breathed out, sucking in another breath as soon as she could, her eyes opening as she tried to stare up at Isbeil as best as she could... then she realized the odd wall behind the woman wasn't a wall at all. It was a truly _massive_ tank of Deathfog... two of them, in fact, with a fan spinning, ready to direct it up into the city. "Now, let's move on to Deathfog. Live or die, you've already proven most... well, I was going to say 'useful', but perhaps 'entertaining' is the better word."

Isbeil turned the valve. Vael felt something inside of her shift, the coiled warmth deep within her that was Zorl-Stissa doing... _something. _She heard a grunt deep within her as something in the valve Isbeil turned cracked and broke, the wheel spinning uselessly. Zorl-Stissa spoke. _'I've given you time! Fight it!' _Vael snarled as she felt something _snap _and feeling beginning to return to her muscles and limbs. She sat up.

Isbeil stared at the valve, then her eyes caught Vael's movement. "What's wrong with the- GUARDS! Come! The Godwoken's broken free of my spell!"

Vael pushed herself to her feet, clutched the weapon at her side- they were going to regret dumping her into here with _that_. She pushed down against the ground and with a roar, leaped into the air. The Dwarves stared, dumbfounded, as the lizard sailed up and out of the pit, over their heads- Isbeil most of all didn't seem to be able to believe what was happening. 

Vael's blade whipped around with such speed and force that everything around her shattered or was sliced cleanly through - The valve, Isbeil, the Dwarf next to her, the candle she'd been using for light, part of the pipes, even some of the stone. Isbeil clutched at herself around shoulder level before her arms dropped off and her weakened spine snapped, the skeletal Dwarf collapsing into a pile of bones. The other guards- themselves revealed to be undead, charged at Vael but quickly met with similar fates.

_'Well done, my champion!'_

With Isbeil's shocked ghost watching in horror, Vael rested her soulforged blade on her shoulder and made her way over to the massive Deathfog machine. She needed to find some way to shut this off or - she heard a distant _thump _from somewhere in the sewers. She didn't know what it was, but it worried her. The great machine sat before her. Pipework tentacled outward and upwards, the conduits piercing the ground overhead, wending their way towards the city - and her people - above. Even through the seals of the great cisterns, Vael could scent the acrid sting of the Deathfog inside.

She began to inspect the device - another thump- trying to see if it was- She stared in awe. It was _helpfully labeled._ What was it with evil 'geniuses' and cryptologists and labeling everything in sight...? A faint gossamer of Deathfog rose from a junction where the release valve met a pipe. A switch allowed redirection to a different pipe, labeled 'SEA'. The junction currently lead to a pipe labeled 'ARX'. Vael paused for but a moment... what if it was a trick? But... no, they wouldn't leave it turned to the sea if they'd been so close to setting it off... would they? Vael decided she had to take that chance and hope that they were actually stupid enough to label their pipes correctly. Vael switched the junction to the sea and yanked the valve.

The machine creaked to life and Deathfog began to flow through the other pipe. She could hear the howl of the fog as it traveled through the chosen pipe. Vael slowly closed her eyes, trying to reach out and _feel_ \- another thump - if she could sense any great... death, any destruction... but she could feel nothing. Either it had actually worked, or they were so far underground that she just couldn't tell...

Vael turned toward the spirit of Isbeil, who judging by her shocked expression - if it wasn't just because of her death - had just watched her plans foiled. "You know you should really stop labeling things..."

Isbeil sneered at her. "Do you think Arx is safe in my death? I've faced the grave before, you know, yet through the God King, I have eternal life!"

"All of his minions seem to be monsters or idiots." Vael pursed her lips. "What's the Black Ring's endgame in all of this-" a louder thud, nearby, "- anyway?"

"The master's purpose is his own to speak, not mine."

Vael smirked slightly. "Really? You love to talk so much, I guess he just wouldn't share his secrets with you..." Vael buffed her claws on her chestplate and just... waited.

"You're good with words! So sincere, I almost believed you!" Isbeil gave her a smug grin. "But let's pretend I fell for your little persuasion game. The God King feeds on war, on death, on disease - on the rich Source living once carried within them, knowingly or not. I'd think this clear by now."

Vael squinted at that. "But... that's what the Gods do... did." Vael turned her attention inward, searching for an explanation, but she could tell that Zorl-Stissa seemed just as confused as she did. 

The Dwarf continued. "The Deathfog was not just a murder-bomb, but a tool. A tool for sowing discord, a tool for pitting the Order against the dwarven kingdom. A tool for ridding us of those who would see us fail - every race, every creed, and every claimant to the title of Divine." Her voice rose and her fist tightened, Vael would presume she'd gone have red with fury, were she not wholly translucent. She said she hadn't fallen for the 'persuasion game', but... here she was, telling Vael what she wanted to know anyway. "I lived for that day, Godwoken. The flesh of every Magister, melted like butter in the sun - the Paladins' eyes bugged out in horror as they watched their spouses and children choke on the Deathfog clogging their lungs. There would be screams, first. Then silence."

Vael stared at the Dwarf before her, a mixture of fear and confusion and... maybe even a little bit of sympathy. "You speak like you've experienced it firsthand."

Isbeil's eyes and mouth narrowed. In her silence, the noise of splashing sewer water - another _thump_, very close - bounced from the stony walls and into Vael's ears. "You seem very angry, Isbeil... is that what happened? Did you experience it? Were you _there?_"

Vael seemed to have lit Isbeil's fire. She was a bomb, a banshee, an erupting volcano. "You couldn't know. _You weren't there_ when the portal opened and the Deathfog poured in. _You weren't there_ to see their skin burst, to see the blood-bubbles foam from their mouths.Have you ever felt your own saliva sizzle? Have you ever felt your own brain pressing against the inside of your skull? I have. _I have felt it._ That agony was the doing of the Divine. For his order to suffer the same fate _is not punishment enough._" She shook her head, seeming like were she still alive she'd be on the edge of tears. "In death, I was... I was given a chance. I made a decision. One that I have _never _regretted."

Vael slowly shook her head as she watched the Dwarf. She would have condemned thousands to die. Thousands who had nothing to do with her... and by her own story admitted she was with the Black Ring when Lucian set off his Deathfog bomb in the elven forests. She'd been Black Ring through and through... Unlike Reimond, who she could excuse... Isbeil, she could not. Vael raised her hand.

Isbeil looked to her fingers with confusion, the silvery wisps of Source wafting from them as Vael began to direct the spell. She had no sympathy for this woman, no sob story, no sad tale would wash away the truth of it. She had fully intended to wipe the city of Arx from the map. She was no better than Alexandar, no better than the Sallow Man. She deserved no better. The Source leaped from Vael's fingers to Isbeil's spirit, and she seemed to realize at the last second what was happening. "No... no! It must be the God King to claim me! How is it yooouuuuURGHH!" She wailed as she flowed into Vael.

Vael closed her eyes and breathed in deeply as the Source flowed into her, joining her own... She directed most of it down toward Zorl-Stissa, she didn't know how much it had taken from her to break the valve, but she seemed drawn. She could feel the thanks radiating up from her even now, but it seemed to have done precious little. They were starting to run out of time again.

Vael needed to find a way out of these sewers.


	63. Suspicions

Vael heard another loud _thud_ from nearby and tried to figure out where it was coming from - she still hadn't found the Queen - hopefully, Isbeil hadn't had her killed. She moved to lean against a wall, she thought the thud had come from there... and then promptly fell _through_ the wall since it wasn't there at all. It was an illusion. _'Graceful.' _"Oh, shut up." Vael pushed herself up from the ground as there was another loud **_thunk _**from the door ahead of her- Vael actually saw a shockwave.

"Is that the Que-"

Another loud **_thunk _**and the door in front of her shattered to pieces... and out walked the Queen. "TRAITOR. I'LL HAVE HER HEAD." The Queen strode forward, weapon raised before herself. "Isbeil. The traitor! Where is she? _I will split her black skull in two._"

Vael held out both hands toward her. "Whoa there, my Queen. She's already dead."

"By whose hand - _yours?_ It should have been my own axe to slice her neck. Take me to her bones; I've a mind to chop them into pieces, the foul witch." Justinia struggled to control her rage. She closed her eyes; she breathed the sewer's fetid air. She waited.

Vael could highly sympathize with her at that moment.

"She is dead. And that is that." She looked up to Vael.

"Listen, Queen Justinia, this is... a bit awkward, but... you almost released Deathfog into Arx. Thousands could have died."

Justinia pounds a fist against her palm. One smack, then a second, then a third. "You may not believe me, but... what I did, I thought I did for the sake of my people. The sinking of the Peacemaker. The Driftwood smuggling operation. The Deathfog. Blackpeak Isle. Power always comes at a great cost. Sometimes... sometimes you have to take some lives to save others. And I shall always put dwarven lives first. You _must _understand this."

Vael didn't know what had happened on Blackpeak Isle, but she _could _understand, at least a little, what she was talking about and where she was coming from. Fear. Fear was a big motivator... she'd even seen Gods fall prey to it. There was an uncomfortable squirm from deep within at that thought.

"It was only a matter of time, she said, and I never doubted it. The scouts talked of living weapons, nailed to crosses. Of blank-faced wizards - an entire force of them. If we didn't come for the Order, the Magisters and the Paladins... they would come for us." She slowly shook her head. "They had my ear all the while. The Black Ring. I'm sorry. Truly sorry. To think of it..."

Vael looked away, thinking... she wasn't sure she could punish the Queen for this. She'd been under their spell, seemingly literally, the whole time... Could Vael really hold her accountable? _'Let her live with what she almost did. She will remember it.' _Vael pursed her lips, then looked to the Queen. "What about Isbeil? Who was she? Really?"

"She was a scientist of sorts, or so the town criers chanted. She knew of the ways of nature and beyond, and I invited her to court to show me. She healed the sick and soothed the wounded; I saw it with my own eyes. I brought her close. Her words were wise, and her aims... Well, they seemed so pure." She slowly shook her head. "It was after Alexandar assembled the quorum that Isbeil turned my mind to thoughts of war. Our scouts and spies aided dwarven Sourcerers where and when they could, but Isbeil insisted the monks and Shriekers would touch dwarven land. When we came to Arx, to prepare, she rarely left my side, except to tend to her laboratory. I'd no idea what... what atrocities she'd been committing there..."

Vael smiled just a little. "I almost became one of them. But... I understand, Queen Justinia. Where will you go now?"

"Lady Kemm is known to harbor... those in need from foreign lands. I will be safe at her estate. So unless you've no more grievances to air..." She looked to Vael expectantly.

Vael shook her head. "No, my Queen. Nothing else. Just... be safe at Lord Kemm's. I might see you there, soon enough."

The Queen nodded a goodbye to her. "Until I can return to the kingdom, I will be at the Kemm estate. Royalty is always welcome there; Paulina would have it no other way."

Vael followed the Queen out of the sewers until they reached the city streets, then bid her farewell to continue on her own way. She needed to go see if she could find this Arhu... If he knew of any way to get into Lucian's crypt. As Vael turned to head North, toward the Cathedral, an elf stepped into her view. He began to clap for her, a slow, methodical clap. Clap. Clap.

"The evil Isbeil is dead. The Doctor will see you now."

Vael's face drew down into a frown as she stared at the elf. "The doctor will be seen when I'm good and ready to go see him. I'm not to be summoned like a dog."

The elf gave her a cool look. When he spoke, it was through gritted teeth. "A word of warning to you, one you would do well to heed: _Do not make the Doctor wait."_

Vael leaned in nice and close to the strange elf. "_The doctor can kiss my ass._"

Looking thoroughly angered by that comment, he scurried off back to whatever part of the city he'd come from - the East, it seemed... She'd head there when she was ready to do so and not a moment before.

As Vael hurried off toward the north of the city, she passed through the main square area, already beginning to fill with shops and stalls and merchants selling their wares, returning to the streets after the attacks. She even saw a few lizards here and there, it was good to see familiar sorts of faces. She passed up into the large Cathedral area, across a bridge, dominated by a massive statue of Lucian... and the gigantic Cathedral itself. She allowed herself to idly wonder if there would be Cathedrals like that for her, someday, should everything go well... _'Surely at least one back home wouldn't hurt...' _Vael smirked at the thought. "I would think someone would get jealous." _'I would think you had earned it.' _Vael shook her head, she supposed she couldn't argue with that.

The Cathedral area teemed with pilgrims, it was Lucian's Day after all... it struck her as somewhat funny that they'd arrive in Arx on that day, of all days... They were praying for Lucian to return, pledging hearts, minds, bodies, lives... Vael half-considered trying to tell them what he'd done, but at the same time... They were mourning- mourning a madman and a murderer, sure, but she was pretty sure all she'd accomplish was getting herself thrown in jail.

She approached a pair of Paladins who guarded the main entryway, intending to ask them where she might find Arhu, but they hailed her first. "Ho, pilgrim."

The second Paladin looked to Vael. "May Lucian return."

Vael looked between the two of them, then somewhat hesitantly voiced her own prayer for him to return- it almost seemed like a... test or something.

"May Lucian return," echoed the first.

"May he return indeed. Maybe then we can stop praying and get back to our lives." The second Paladin looked to Vael. "Do you need help?"

"Yes, I was looking for Arhu." Vael looked around herself, no sign of a cat anywhere.

"You mean _Lord_ Arhu, ma'am. And he isn't here."

"He's not? Where's he gone?" Vael frowned. If he wasn't here, how was she supposed to get into the crypt?

"It's his business alone, not ours."

"Can I look?" Vael glanced between the two of them.

They glanced to each other, then shrugged. "I don't see the harm." They waved Vael through.

As Vael ventured in further, looking for where Arhu might be, getting directions from another Paladin, she stopped before a closed door, guarded by another Paladin. "I would like to see Arhu, if possible." Maybe the ones at the gate were mistaken...

The Paladin looked down at her. "Well, I'm afraid that what you'd _like _isn't the deciding factor. Lord Arhu is a very busy man - I won't interrupt him on the whim of a stranger. He'll make himself available in his own time."

Vael looked at the door, closed solid, no chance she was getting through that without a key or something... "Look, I know you probably hear this all the time, but I have something _extremely _important to discuss with him."

The Paladin rolled her eyes. "Alright. You may proceed. If Lord Arhu unlocks the door for you, you may enter. Just keep it short, he's preparing for his Lucian's Day speech and won't appreciate being disturbed."

Vael bowed her head quickly. "Thank you, Paladin." Maybe the gate guards were wrong after all.

"If he won't open it for you, your next best bet is to give your message to Sister Avenny. She's the only one with permission to enter." She motioned to the door.

Vael stepped up close and knocked several times, rather loudly... but there was silence from within. She looked back to the Paladin. "Can you tell me where Sister Avenny is?"

She gave an exasperated snort and pointed South. "One of the smaller Cathedrals is hers."

As Vael hurried South, she felt a sharp tug within herself that pulled her up short. Not wanting to speak, they were standing near some scribes, she wondered what all the fuss was about. _'That's my scribe.' _She felt her eyes turn toward a bald woman, a monk of some kind, sitting on a bench and writing in a book. Vael leaned over to see what she was writing... it was well-written, at least, but she felt like a Human wouldn't be able to do as good a job as another kin might in writing about their own God...

The Human woman looked up at her. "Zorl-Stissa embodies order and reason, but I won't be able to say the same about myself if you keep distracting me."

Vael raised her hands and her brows. "Okay, okay. My mistake..."

_'Snippy...' _Vael snorted and muttered under her breath. 'I wonder who she gets it from.' There was a dark sort of grumble from within.

As Vael wandered into the southern cathedral, she spotted a blood-red painting resting against one wall that caught her eye... It looked decidedly familiar. As she looked around herself, she realized that she was standing in an art gallery... of sorts. Paintings of all the Gods stood in their own little alcoves, including the one that had caught Vael's eye before - one of Zorl-Stissa. "That one doesn't look anything like you," she blurted before she remembered where she was. There was a quiet laughing within herself as Vael carefully and quietly slunk out of the little gallery as odd looks followed her out of the door.

She ventured into the little cathedral finally and found the woman she was looking for - she hoped. As she approached, it turned out she was correct. "Lucian's blessings to you, stranger. I am Sister Avenny - the Head Priestess of the Cathedral."

Vael breathed a sigh of relief. "Sister, I need to speak to Lord Arhu, but he doesn't answer and I don't hear anything from inside... I was told to speak to you if I wanted to get inside."

The woman stared at her. "No, I cannot do such a thing! Lord Arhu's privacy must be maintained."

Vael stared at the ground for a moment, then looked back up to her. "Listen, Sister Avenny, I wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't absolutely necessary. I _must _speak to him, you don't understand how important it is that I do. Something terrible could happen."

The woman searched her with her eyes, then finally nodded once after several long moments of silence. "Very well... here is the key to Lord Arhu's quarters. Lord Kemm has posted a few guards by Arhu's door. Show them the key; they shouldn't bother you after that."

Vael squinted slightly at that - Now Kemm was guarding Arhu too? It seemed like the man was everywhere in the city... "Thank you, Sister." Vael took the key in hand and hurried back to Arhu's quarters.

She hurried up to the door and gestured with the key. "Sister Avenny has granted me access to Lord Arhu's quarters."

The woman didn't look happy about it, but the Paladin stood to one side.

Vael quickly unlocked the door and pushed them open- but as soon as she opened the door she realized something was wrong. "Paladins! His chambers have been ransacked!" There were bloodstains on the floor, furniture broken, the entire room was in disarray... no wonder Vael hadn't heard anything. He wasn't here at all.

She hurried inside and began to search, going right into her normal search pattern, desks, tables, other places she might find books or letters - people seemed to have a bad habit of leaving evidence lying around everywhere... Vael was proved correct as soon as she opened a cabinet in Arhu's quarters - there was a cat bed on the _actual _bed, of all things... it seemed he liked being a cat, judging by that and the amount of cat hair that covered _everything- _and she found a journal resting in a drawer. She scanned it quickly, looking for anything that might be useful- and found plenty.

It seemed that Kemm wanted to enter Lucian's crypt, Vael's suspicions of the man continued to rise by the second. Though her respect for Arhu rose a notch... he, at least, seemed to recognize that Rivellon was in danger and they'd need another divine to deal with it. She heard Paladins snap to attention. "Lord Kemm!"

Vael's head swiveled back to see the man himself entering Arhu's chambers.

"You?" He stared at her. "But of _course _it would be you." Kemm stared at her. "We're not blind, you know. We watched as you crept around our city."

Vael started to get a _very bad_ feeling about what was about to happen, Paladins starting to gather around herself and Kemm.

"And now I discover you _here_, yet the Grandmaster is nowhere in sight?"

"He was already gone when I got here, Kemm." Vael crossed her arms, placing her hand at least that fraction closer to the hilt of the blade on her back. "You can ask your Paladins. I had nothing to do with this."

He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head... Vael was being _considered_. "Paladins! Take her away. We'll get to the truth."

Vael snarled, her hand shooting up to the hilt of her blade, threatening to pull it free. "I am going _nowhere_ with you, Kemm. I arrived to find this place ransacked, just like you did."

Kemm looked around himself, the Paladins gathered around Vael, some of whom began to look unsteady. He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Enough of this. Every minute of my time you waste is a minute lost in the search for the Grandmaster." He dismissed Vael with a flick of his wrist. "You may go."

Vael considered confronting him here and now about what she'd learned, but at the moment all she had were suspicions, and she eyed all the Paladins... They were in a Cathedral full of Paladins, pilgrims... too many innocents should things go truly sour. Vael let out the breath she'd been holding, pulling her hand free from the hilt of her blade - every Paladin in the room seemed to relax at once. "As you wish, Kemm."

As Vael turned to leave, she noticed a letter on the ground she hadn't seen before, right next to Arhu's desk. As she walked away, she surreptitiously scooped it up with the very tip of her tail, curling it around the letter as she walked out of Arhu's quarters. Kemm was looking worse and worse the more that she investigated this city...

As she exited Arhu's chambers, Vael ducked into a crease in the wall and lifted the letter, scanning it quickly - _of course _it was from Kemm... Asking Arhu to meet him at his estate at sundown... What would he want with the Grandmaster in the middle of the night? And this was another request to get past the Path of Blood, which Arhu's journal mentioned wasn't possible whether he'd given his permission or not... It seemed she'd need a way to _bypass _it entirely if even Arhu couldn't get someone through it.

Vael hurried off toward Lord Kemm's estate. It seemed it was finally time to see what she could find inside of this vault.


	64. Kemm

As Vael approached Lord Kemm's estate, she noticed a rather substantial number of people gathered outside. She didn't know what for or why, but it was concerning... especially since there seemed to be so many lizards. She walked closer, eavesdropping on a few conversations, wondering if something was going on inside or if there was a reason for the number of people here when she overheard some news, one trader with his cart talking to another. "I got real lucky when the Voidwoken attacked. They didn't go anywhere near the Kemm estate. I know some people that lost _everything_."

Vael stepped closer to the pair, leaning in, in what she hoped was a suitably friendly manner. "Are the Voidwoken the reason there are so many people here?"

"Some maybe. Some from the lizard Enclave, but I'm sure you know about that. Most of us are here to trade with Kemm. He's tough to nail down." Vael frowned slightly at that. He sure was... "The Kemms lost nothing in the attack, so we're trying to convince them to share a little."

Vael looked over toward the house. There was damage _just outside _the large, expensive, sprawling home... but nothing inside? Everything that she'd been leaning so far... She paused, then turned back to the Trader. "What was that? About the lizard enclave?"

"You don't know?" He pointed off into the distance to the north of the city, where smoke still rose. "It was attacked. Completely destroyed."

Vael's eyes widened at that. "It was _what_?" She frowned and looked to the North... if she could hazard a guess, she imagined that's where she might find Sadha. She turned back to the man she'd been speaking to. "Thank you. I appreciate you sharing the news."

He waved her off and Vael continued up toward Kemm's house, glancing at the other traders as she went. Most of them tried to call her over to get her to buy something, but she really wasn't in the mood... the girl had wiped her out already, and she didn't really need anything. Maybe something to eat, but... Other than that, she was fine.

She wandered around in front of the house for a while, but other than a gate(that was locked) she didn't see any way to get inside other than the front door. She wasn't about to try to force the gate in broad daylight, either- even if she thought it might work after what she'd managed to do in the sewers, it'd make too much noise and invite far too much attention. She'd just have to try the front door.

Vael walked up and, since others just seemed to be... walking in, so did she. She was greeted by the Butler at the door, a much put-upon-looking old man with a rather nice beard. "My word, the mansion's positively _overrun_ with foreign folk on this most inauspicious of Lucian's Days!" The butler caught himself and cleared his throat in a brief moment of embarrassment. "I do apologize if I came across as impertinent just now, and I hope that you'll forgive my unabating boldness when I assume milady has come here in search of an audience with either Lord or Lady Kemm?"

"Actually, I was wondering..." She wondered how much she should let on, then continued. "I was wondering if you had seen Lord Arhu? I was told he was last seen near here, and..." She trailed off expectantly.

"Arhu? Haven't seen _him _in a long time. Milord took quite a shine to that cat of his, though. Quite a sight to see the great Lord Linder Kemm fawning over another man's cat in the back garden." The man glanced through the back of the house, Vael's eyes following him to great double doors that exited into the back yard.

"These 'foreign folk' you mentioned, who were they? They didn't happen to include a red lizard, did they?" Vael glanced back to him.

"Oh, I meant of course milady's countrymen: The lizard excellencies that have sought shelter under this esteemed roof in the aftermath of the dreadful attack that was inflicted upon the imperial consulate. It saddens me to say that there are a number of deaths to mourn, and I did not see any red lizards among their number, but no doubt we all rejoice at the survival of the nobles. After all, a mere clerk is so easily replaced, wouldn't you say?" He seemed to expect a positive reaction.

"I'm... not a noble. Actually." Vael squinted slightly at him.

"None of us are perfect, milady," he replied with a rather dry tone.

Vael opened and closed her mouth as she bit back what she was going to say, then nodded. "I would like to see this garden if that's okay...?"

The butler gestured toward the back of the house and bowed his head toward her. "Yes, do please excuse me for I've a party of dignitaries to attend to. They've an appetite for an aperitif and the port - needless to say - does not pour itself."

Vael smirked slightly. "Quite." She headed off toward the back of the house while the butler disappeared deeper into it.

The 'back garden' proved to be less a 'garden' and more like a personal nature preserve- massive trees decorated every corner, plants grew here and there and everywhere, she even recognized some of the rarer plant species from her homeland- those must cost a fortune in upkeep in a climate like this, keeping them healthy... She glanced up to the light rain that had been pouring almost since the moment she arrived. Still, she couldn't spend her time peering at plants, she had somewhere to be.

Vael checked her map for the spot that had been pointed out to her by the girl where the lever would be, then wandered over toward it. There was a large water pump and a massive set of bushes, as Vael looked closer she found the lever - cleverly disguised within the bush where it'd be easy to miss - and surreptitiously gave it a tug. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be many people in the garden, most of them concentrated within the house.

She heard a faint rumbling from behind herself and turned her head - the rumbling grew louder, as did the sound of rushing water. Vael hurried to the side of the large pool hiding the hatch and down the steps as quickly as she dared on the slippery surface. She yanked on the hatch - and very nearly fell over as it proved to be locked. "Locked on top of covered with water, gods damnit." She bit her lip and looked around herself to make sure no one else was around, then reached down and tugged the hatch up _just _enough that she could slip the claws of one hand under, then the other.

Vael set her feet, then gave a good, hard, solid _wrench_ and with a screeching of tearing metal, the hatch popped up and open, a piece of the locking mechanism pinging off across the sodden stone of the base of the pool. Fearing someone would come looking, Vael slipped into the hatch quickly and closed it behind herself- she could already hear rushing water filling the pool back up.

As Vael climbed down into the musty darkness of Kemm's vault, she _almost _thought she was under attack by the guards - until she realized that she was just surrounded by what seemed like dozens of statues. Vael stepped forward into the vault, there was a _waterfall_ that dumped into an underground river that ran through the center of the vault. She couldn't even _begin _to imagine what a place like this must have cost, not even considering all the vast numbers of relics, artifacts, books and statuary that Vael could see stretching off into the darkness.

She then realized that she might _actually_ come under attack by statuary... there seemed to be mobile statues patrolling the vault, each one bearing the likeness of Lucian, their footsteps thudding heavily across the ground. Not wanting to find herself flattened by one of them - they carried _very _large weapons, Vael decided instead to see if she couldn't find some way to sneak past them - she didn't imagine walking statues would be particularly intelligent.

She idly wondered why statues of Lucian always seemed to depict him with wings... Was it a divine thing? She felt like she'd remember a story of him having _actual _wings... she wondered if _she _would end up with wings when she became divine if that was actually something that could happen. Vael waited until the statues had disappeared down side-chambers and left the middle of the room relatively empty before she scurried across, as light on her feet as she could manage, until she'd passed down to the far side. The water flow was barely a trickle down here, meaning it was far quieter and she could hear the echoing footsteps of the statues much clearer.

They seemed to stay mostly away from this side of the vault, however, and Vael was able to examine the area more clearly - She found the First and Third Passion of Lucian paintings, taking a moment to admire them, then noticed that there was a far-clearer Source-ghost of the second painting here. She reached into her pack and carefully unwrapped it - the Source-based nature of the painting seemed to have protected it fairly well from its travels with her so far, despite everything. She slowly placed it down where it'd been stolen from, and the painting quickly filled the space before it.

There was a shining, shimmering glow from the painting - and a door behind it clicked open with a soft noise, swinging open on its own power. "Okay, that wasn't strange at all..." She hurried around the three paintings and into the revealed room. "People in Arx have the strangest ideas about security systems! What happened to locks and keys?", she muttered as she looked around the revealed room.

There was a large painting labeled 'Responsibility' next to more massive piles of gold - they seemed to like those around here too - and Vael scooped up a bit to help refill her coinpurse. She decided to consider it payment for returning the painting. She spotted splatters of blood leading to an empty span of wall - and quite a lot of cat hair. It didn't take a genius to figure out that there was a hidden wall here... but Vael couldn't figure out how to open it. She considered just trying to force it, but with all the noise that'd make she'd almost certainly attract the statues and she really wasn't in any kind of mood to tangle with all three of them in a small room.

Next to the door, however, were two bookcases - one on either side. Vael had read enough books growing up and while she'd been studying to know what that probably meant, she started tugging on books more or less at random - until she noticed the title of one that stuck out to her.

'Tome of the God King'

Vael tilted her head to the side, setting her jaw. If that was the one... that would both confirm everything she'd been thinking and be a very stupid choice on Kemm's part... but she was starting to think he was the type of man who thought with his authority and sword, not exactly his mind... Vael reached up and gave the book a gentle tug.

There was a quiet click and the hidden wall slid open, revealing another hatch. "Oh, Kemm..." Vael breathed out a quiet sigh. She didn't _want_ to be right... this made everything so much more complicated. No wonder Isbeil and her goons had been able to sneak all the Deathfog into the city undetected if they'd both been Black Ring. How could someone who seemed to serve Lucian so diligently fall like that? Vael had thought maybe he was just a 'bad guy', someone who'd let authority go to his head, who still hated the Godwoken or Sourcerers or something of the sort... She hadn't expected _this_.

As Vael descended, she found herself in a long, dark hallway - except it wasn't dark. She realized the floor was decorated in a swirling pattern of tiles that seemed to darken and distort the light of the torches that lit it, dimming it by its very nature. She didn't realize that she was following the hallway until she felt a dagger of pain shoot through her head, and Vael fell to a knee. "What the-"

There came a voice - soft and calm, yet laced with disappointment... Zorl-Stissa recoiled inside of Vael, shifting herself deeper. "Such a long journey you have undertaken... in the service of thieving charlatans... in pursuit of that which you will never obtain." Vael found her gaze drawn toward a massive, four-winged statue that she hadn't seen when she was studying the floor. A statue of the God King himself, she knew it was. At last, she could finally put a face to the creature that had hunted her for so long.

A long, sad sigh reached her from what felt like the depths of the Void itself. "I saw your abysmal treatment of my servant, Isbeil. Please, test my patience no further. This is your last chance. Abandon this folly. Abandon that parasite that still dwells within you. Leave, and never return."

Vael forced herself to look up at the statue despite the fact that it seemed to be trying to force her to look down, to bow her head in reverence. Her legs twitched and shook as she slowly forced herself up and off of one knee. "_Never._"

The presence in her mind started trying to push her back down. "I am the past. I will be the future. I am the God King. You are but a misguided servant - heed my words, and leave. I do not wish you harm unless you force my hand..."

Vael managed a chuckle through gritted teeth as she struggled to keep herself standing. "Oh, we're well past that point."

"My followers are many. My followers are everywhere. Your endeavors are pointless." The voice slowly faded away, and with it, the pain. The aftershocks of it left Vael feeling weak, forcing her to lean against a wall as she gasped for breath. The statue seemed far less menacing than it had just a scant few moments ago, just a construction carved in a likeness she'd never seen before. Without the presence, that's all it was. A statue.

Vael felt Zorl-Stissa slowly crawling out of her hiding 'hole' deep within herself, the gentle warmth slowly spreading once more through her. _'Forgive me, my chosen... I am too weak.' _Vael slowly shook her head as she approached the statue, peering down at a plaque that rested in the floor. "If you weren't, what would you need a chosen for, after all." The plaque held a clue that Vael imagined might have been cryptic... if she hadn't had eyes and the ability to read words.

The shrine above her had an obvious groove carved into it that would fit something fairly large - the plaque? 'Only the God King knows the weight of Responsibility'. Vael had seen the painting up above. She looked up at the statue, then slowly shook her head as she went back to retrieve it. "I swear, it's as if these people _want _me to find all this stuff...", she muttered to herself as she went.

Vael retrieved the painting, then ventured back down while carrying it - no presence, no pain, no creepy talking statue this time. She lowered the painting down onto the shrine and into the groove - the whole shrine clicked and sank slightly into the floor, then slid back to reveal yet another hatch. This city was practically honeycombed with passages and chambers underground, it seemed. She wondered if it had originally been built by dwarves.

The chamber ahead of her was obviously built for some nefarious purpose - there were blood splatters across the ground, large Black Ring banners hanging everywhere - someone could get past the statue upstairs and still _wonder_ but it seemed like, down here, he had tried to make his allegiances painfully obvious. Torture racks, what seemed to be literal fountains of blood steadily trickling away, tables covered in torture implements... it was like an interrogator's wet dream down here.

Vael ventured forward, searching for whether or not Arhu really was down here... until she came across him. He was surrounded by the spirits of three Black Ring adherents, each one slowly draining him away. Vael peered at them, at who she could only assume to be Arhu... "I hope you're feeling hungry," she muttered to the Goddess that hid away within herself. "Because there's three coming your way."

Vael raised her hand toward the first of the spirits - the solution here seemed to be pretty obvious. Stop the spirits, set Arhu free... If anyone but a Godwoken had found him, they'd never have been able to get him out. The wisps of Source connected Vael to the first spirit, drew it down deep inside of herself, feeding the failing Goddess within - a scream of pain from the spirits' prisoner drew her attention. "Aarrrghh! No! D-don't do it! The pain is too much, it will _kill me!_"

Vael frowned as she peered at him, at the two remaining spirits who seemed to have redoubled their efforts as the third fell. "I'm sorry, Lord Arhu-" she decided to see if that's who he _actually _was or if some other poor sod was stuck here. "- but it's the only way to get you out."

"You can't!" He shuddered as fresh waves of pain coursed through him. "Leave, while you still have a chance, and don't touch the..." He passed out mid-sentence from the pain.

Vael had no idea what she wasn't supposed to touch, she didn't have to touch anything to free him, even if it seemed to hurt him a great deal... as she looked around to see what she wasn't supposed to touch - she saw it. A Swornbreaker, a gleaming golden scythe with swirls along the blade... even from here she could recognize the power within it. She wondered if that was what she wasn't supposed to touch, but if Sadha was one of these 'Sworn'... she wasn't going to be leaving this basement without it.

She turned to the second spirit, reaching out toward it, drawing it in toward herself just as she'd done the first... The pain of it seemed to wake Arhu back up, at least, so he wasn't _dead_ \- which Vael still considered a good thing. "Yeeeargh!" His howl could wake the dead, Vael thought. "Stop! P-please stop! The pain... it's too much!" His face went slack as the pain rendered him senseless, leaving Vael to slowly shake her head.

"I'm sorry, Lord Arhu... I don't think there's any other way." At least Zorl-Stissa seemed to appreciate the Source being sent her way, the faint warmth within her growing that little fraction stronger.

As Vael reached out toward the third spirit and began to draw it toward herself, she saw Lord Arhu collapse to the ground, whatever spell they were using on him broken. Vael was about to cheer in victory when she realized they were no longer alone - from somewhere, four Black Ring members sprung into being - she didn't know if they had been summoned here, called here or what might have happened, but Vael drew her blade with a snarl. They wouldn't be leaving.

Like lightning, Vael struck them, carving through their number in an instant. Two fell before her blade before the others had a chance to react... then Vael heard a metallic thumping from the stairs as Lord Linder Kemm descended into his own personal torture room. "My dear Lord Arhu, you should have told me you were expecting visitors!"

"Kemm!" Vael roared at him. "I knew you were up to something, you son of a bitch!"

Arhu looked to Vael in alarm. "Run, you fool!"

Vael just chuckled to herself. "Fat chance of that, Arhu. I'm getting you out of here-" Vael glared up to Kemm as fire ignited around her hands and her blade. "_Alive._"

"That, I'm afraid of a matter of contention. " Kemm stared back at Vael. "From where I stand, all of you must die. _Everything _depends on it."

"Why, Kemm? Why betray everything for which you once stood?" Arhu gasped at him.

"_Betray? _I didn't betray the Order - I _liberated _it." Kemm pointed his blade at Arhu. "As one of Lucian's pawns, I stood for weakness. _Frailty_. And then... then the God King showed me the world as it could be. He made a promise. He promised me a path unburdened by Lucian's _pathetic _need to defend the defenseless. He promised me a world dominated by the worthiest bloodlines across the ages. He promised me a lasting seat at his glorious table in return for my oath. For the King chooses only the strongest. The most loyal. The most deserving!" He looked back to Vael. "And now, Godwoken, I uphold the final act of my oath: your execution. You can forget about finding Lucian. Believe me: No good comes from our so-called _Divine."_

Vael growled under her breath, flames erupting from her, surrounding her with a crackling veil of flames. "Put up or shut up, Kemm. Arhu's coming with me."

"I thought you might say that. Nevermind. Soon enough you'll be free of this folly." Kemm rushed toward Vael with a war cry on his lips, his shield gleaming brightly. His own blade wreathed in flames, his blade clashed against hers - sparks flew.

Their blades met again and again - but Vael was faster. Vael was stronger. He had the benefit of heavier, better-made armor, a shield, but that did little when Vael battered it aside. Vael's blade slammed into his shield, crushing it and knocking it aside - he stared up at Vael in shock. "No!"

Vael didn't give him the benefit of an answer. She reared back as he attempted to deflect her with his shield and ran him through, stabbing her blade into his middle, straight through his armor, front and back, with a screech of tearing metal. She yanked it up, nearly taking him off of his feet, then pulled it back, leaving him to fall to the side in a rapidly-growing puddle of blood. The remaining Black Ring fell quickly after that, leaving Vael and Arhu alone in Kemm's basement.

Arhu turned to Vael with an expression of shock. "I'm... I'm alive. I was convinced the pain would destroy me. That _you _would destroy me..." He shook his head slowly. "But you freed me instead. The pain is gone. I feel almost _whole_." 

"Why would he do that to you? Aside from... well, it turns out, he was a massive asshole, but... He must have had a reason." Vael gestured to the glowering spirit of Kemm... and then realized that Arhu might not be able to see it and lowered her hand. She was getting too used to this.

"Because of my knowledge of the inner working of the Cathedral. Kemm and his Black Ring cronies will stop at nothing to harvest its secrets." He slowly shook his head as he looked to Kemm's body. "To think I trusted a traitor. I thought him a friend; a protector of the city, yet all the while he was trying to gain entry to the tome. To Lucian's body..." He looked to Vael. "Just like you, I presume..." He looked to Vael anew, taking her in. "You didn't come by here by chance, did you? No... your power, your skill... You're a _Godwoken_." 

Vael nodded. "I am... and I heard that you were missing, on top of that. I had my suspicions that it might be Kemm, then I got into your quarters, found the letter, the journal. I didn't come here _just _to get into the Cathedral... but it was a large part."

He smiled slightly. "I thought you might want something. You want to enter the tomb of Lucian, don't you?"

"I do, Lord Arhu. I need to know everything you know." Vael rested her blade on her shoulder. "It's of vital importance that I get down there. Not _just_ for Lucian's body... but for what others might do with it."

He looked to the ground. "I swore an oath to prevent anyone from ever entering the tomb of the Divine. But... that may have been a mistake. I've heard of your deeds. People call you a hero! Maybe you're worthy after all..."

Vael was glad that her scales hid her blush. She really needed to get used to this, to people thinking she was more than a simple scholar or soldier or Sourcerer, or even a Godwoken... those titles she could deal with. This 'hero' business... this was new.

"The Divine's tomb is a fortress, a gauntlet. No single person was entrusted with the entire sequence necessary to enter... not even I. Lucian insisted that no one ever approach his remains. _Especially_ a Godwoken." Vael wondered why that was, why he'd been so paranoid about a Godwoken entering his tomb... Had it been to keep them from taking his divine power? She supposed it might be, after all, he'd wiped out everyone who could get to the Wellspring, had attempted to sabotage the path... it made sense he'd similarly protect his tomb. But all this work, put into a tomb he didn't know when he'd need to use, and if she'd heard correctly it had been completed only a short time before his death... Vael still felt like there was _something_ she was missing, just out of sight.

"Before he died, he arranged for the Lone Wolves to hunt and harry any rumored Godwoken until they were dead or banished to the ends of the world." He slowly shook his head.

"Look, Arhu." She gestured with her hand. "And I mean _look_ with your eyes. Look at the city. Look at _this very room._ Lucian's plan, whatever it is, has failed. The Void is _here_, literally here, in this city. The Voidwoken nearly overran it, they destroyed me people's enclave. The Void is here, and it is _winning._ Whatever Lucian's intentions, whatever his plans... the world _needs a Divine._ If for no other reason than to protect it. Others have told me this, many times... Until arriving in Arx... I don't think I truly believed it." She bounced her blade slowly on her shoulder as she thought of what to say. "You can't remain bound to an oath you were forced to accept in bad faith. Not knowing what was to come. Things have changed. The situation has changed. You have to see that."

Arhu nodded impatiently. "Within Lucian's body resides the very power of the Gods, the power to seed a new Divine. He insisted this power remain there, eternally sealed within the tomb. To what ends, I don't know." He sighed. "... but I know that even in his great wisdom, Lucian could not have foreseen times like these. The Void's silent scream is about to engulf us. It is as you say. This is why I will help you - because I believe, as you do, that only a new Divine can save Rivellon."

Vael breathed a quiet sigh. "I was beginning to think no one in this city could see sense... Thank you, Lord Arhu."

"To pass the Path of Blood you must bypass the statue of Lucian. The Scroll of Atonement, when used with a Source amulet, will provide... an alternative route."

Vael nodded once. "Where do I get these?"

"Have you by any chance met Sanders, the toy-maker?"

"So that's his name? No, I haven't, the one that makes puppets?"

"He was - is - one of the engineers who designed the Path of Blood on behalf of Lucian. He's a genius, but his ways are... let's say, idiosyncratic. He works as a toyseller now, right here in Arx. You may tell Sanders I sent you."

Vael looked toward him, bouncing her blade on her shoulder as she did. "I'll find them. What do I do then, what do I do with them?"

"Sanders is the expert. But once you claim the amulet and the scroll, I'll explain how to use them." He held up a hand toward her. "But be warned - bypassing Lucian's statue is just the beginning. I may be able to forewarn you of the dangers you'll face, but you must still face them."

Vael gestured around herself. "Lord Arhu... facing danger is what I do."

He smiled just a fraction toward her. "Good luck, Godwoken."

Arhu walked past her toward the exit, back up to freedom. That left Vael with one more thing to do before she followed him... claim the Swornbreaker and free Sadha.


	65. The Consulate

As Arhu walked up the stairs and away, Vael turned to Kemm's spirit, staring sullenly at her where he'd fallen. As she approached him, he sneered at her with a glint in the dark of his eye.

"You were really going to do all of this for the God King? What happened to you?"

"I am sworn to the king... and sworn I remain, Godwoken. I owe you nothing."

"But what was the endgame? Why" She shook her head as she stared at him.

"My aims were, _are, _no less than the God King's triumph. That's all you can know." He stared resolutely at her, refusing to answer.

Vael looked down at her hand, watching faint wisps of Source beginning to rise from her fingers. "I consumed Ibseil's source, Kemm. There's no coming back after that." She looked back to where the ritual had been. "You don't know what it's like, Kemm... It makes you _hungry_."

He stared at her hand, looking back up to her, then to her hand again, then to her face. "_Enough! _Is it not obvious to you? To own this city is to own the Cathedral. To own the tomb. To own _Lucian._ Lucian is the key. The Seven may be dead or near enough, but their essence still lives within his rotting corpse. When the God King claims that final pearl of Divinity, his reign will begin! Imagine it, Godwoken. A pure and perfect world. Cowards will no longer beg for scraps at warriors' feet. The fruits of our own labor will belong only to _us_."

In Kemm, Vael could see a darker version of herself. Another her, another time, who might have actually agreed with him. It was something all soldiers thought of, she wouldn't deny it. Wondering why they were sacrificing, fighting, for others who couldn't... but unlike Kemm, Vael understood _why. _"It isn't about being the only one who can fight, Kemm... it's about protecting those who can't protect themselves. You see cowards, you see beggars, parasites, leeches... I see a duty."

"The divinity held within Lucian's cadaver belongs only to the King's chosen. And you - **you are not worthy!****_"_**

Vael shook her head. "You and I have very different ideas about what 'worthy' means... You know, between you and Isbeil... I really haven't exactly been impressed with the God King's chosen, my friend."

"Isbeil? Damn her to Nemesis if her duties go unfulfilled. Weak, even in undeath, consumed by petty jealousy of the God King's star pupils. Yet our master's might is _legendary_. With or without me, with or without _Isbeil_, the God King rises!" He held up a hand, fist clenched.

Vael shook her head, then moved to turn away. _'You won't consume him?' _She paused, then looked back to him. "No. He's an asshole, not a monster. He doesn't deserve that." She looked toward the Swornbreaker. "And I wonder what his God King would wonder if he saw this..." She glanced back to Kemm. "Second thoughts?" The spirit stared at her, resolutely silent.

As Vael stepped to the statue holding the scythe, she half expected some final trap. Some magical spell, some shock that would kill her dead... but there was nothing. She sheathed her blade across her back and picked up the scythe, staring at it curiously. It felt surprisingly heavy in her hands for such a relatively small weapon, the blade carried a weight to it that definitely was not represented in its size...

Swornbreaker in hand, Vael headed out of the vault. She had a promise to keep. One of two. As Vael approached the consulate, she could see the full extent of the damage... the building stood, if only barely, huge chunks of the walls missing - she could see the cursed fire from here, burning steadily despite the still-failing rain.

A Priestess stood by the entryway, along a wall, and raised a hand as Vael approached. "Stranger! I implore you, turn back! There is naught within but black ash and Void. Your consulate lies in ruin. Accursed flames lap at every corner. The Paladins are great and faithful warriors, but some tragedies even they can't undo."

Vael looked to the building... it had been built in her people's style, seeing it like this... she looked back to the woman. "If there's something I can do, I will. And there's someone inside I need to find."

"I'm sure your skill would prove invaluable, whatever your House, were there Voidwoken left to slay or your kin left to save. I'm afraid the terrors waiting within aren't so _tangible_, however." The Priestess' eyes glazed over and she shivered in fear. "You'd have to be mad to continue. And if you managed to escape, you'd be madder still... I can't say more."

Vael shook her head and continued toward the consulate. She was stopped by another Paladin. "Careful. This fire's of the Void - infernal stuff, can't be put out by normal means. Best to wait it out. It'll have to die eventually..."

Vael smirked at that, then continued on inside. If there was a cursed fire, she had an idea of what she might have to do to get rid of it... _'Caution, my chosen... there are dark things stirring within.' _Vael nodded once but continued forward all the same.

As Vael stepped through, she looked up at the massive wooden doors of the building, then to the Paladins. "Shut these behind me. If something happens, at least whatever's inside won't get out."

The Paladins just... stared, then looked to one another. Eventually, they nodded. "If that's what you want, stranger."

Vael stepped over the threshold and the doors slowly creaked shut behind her until they slammed shut with a dull thud. The sounds of the city behind her muffled, all that was left behind was the crackling of cursed flames and the faint sizzling of the water falling into them through holes in the roof above. Vael decided to test her theory, and she gathered the Source within her - another reason she wanted the door closed, so the Paladins didn't get any ideas - before casting it upon the flames that still burned within this room. As the blessing hit them, the fires shifted, slowly fading from the cursed necrofire to normal flames once more... and then, slowly, with the assistance of the ever-present rain... went out.

"Well, that seems easy enough..." Vael's fins twitched as she realized there was something... or someone, behind her. She turned her head... only to see a very unexpected person indeed. "Prince? What are you- how?"

The Prince's spirit smiled at her, slowly bowing his head. "Whatever tragedy happened here, the barriers between this world and the Hall have weakened... I am here to save my Sadha, the secret of my soul... I will help you however I can."

Vael couldn't help but smile at him, her heart soared to see her friend again, even like this. "I... it's good to see you."

He nodded once. "And it is good to see you. But we have a Princess to save, we shouldn't keep my love waiting."

Vael moved slowly through the ruined consulate, blessing patches of fire as she went so that they would slowly burn out and be extinguished. "I don't even know that she's here, my Prince."

"She is here. I can feel it. And ... something else."

Vael knew what he meant. His wasn't the only presence she felt here, there was something else, something sinister... something angry. As she ventured up some stairs and turned a corner, blessing another patch of fire, Vael finally came upon what she'd been sensing since she arrived - some kind of... flaming spirit, shaped like a lizard. A revenant of some kind left behind by those who'd died in the cursed flames. Vael held up a hand. "Wait! I'm here to help you!"

The spirit didn't listen, firing a flaming arrow at Vael from a spectral bow. Vael ducked behind a wall, listening to the arrow skitter across the floor, spreading more flames as it went. "Damnit, those things are going to send this whole building up... But are they cursed too?" Vael stepped out from behind the wall, gesturing in the blessing as she called it down upon the revenant. The flames surrounding it sputtered and died out - Vael thought maybe that would be enough, but it continued to attack her. However, when she attacked _it, _the flames already doused... it fell to shattered bones, blackened by heat. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

She found more flames, more revenants, and dispatched both with the same strategy. "No wonder the Paladins couldn't do anything and were waiting for the flames to die..." Vael looked behind herself, to her relief the Prince was still there, steadfastly following in her footsteps as he had so long ago. Just... more alive, at the time.

"Have you been aware of what's been happening, my Prince?" She asked as she glanced back toward him, navigating around more fires.

"Yes. That business at the Wellspring... A battle lost; a war begun." He didn't seem bothered by the flames at all, walking through them rather than around them. "Dallis and that pet of hers are a force to be reckoned with. There is... more to them than meets the eye."

Vael glanced back at him. "You realize her 'pet' is Braccus Rex, right?"

He scoffed. "What?"

She nodded once. "I found a report. Tarquin confirmed it."

"By the..." he paused. "By the ... the One, then! How are you to kill the Source King returned?"

"Tarquin had a plan for that. Anathema."

His eyes widened. "So it does exist? You completed it?"

"I did. Malady has it. Says she'd bring it when the 'time is right'."

He pursed his spectral lips. "That... elf concerns me. But if you trust her I suppose there is little I can do about it now."

Vael smirked. "Trust is a... strong word. But I think she'll stand by hers."

He nods his head. "What truly makes me pause is the fate of the Seven: how pitiful they were at the end."

Vael smiled. "One of them is still here, you know... after a fashion." An annoyed grumbling rose up from within herself at the Prince's words.

"I." He paused. "Hm. I meant the others, of course, I meant no offense. But really... think on it: Gods reduced to snarling beasts, so starved of Source it made them rabid. They tried to _kill you_. To destroy their last chance at having finally done something worthwhile in allowing you to the Wellspring."

Vael winced slightly. "You make it seem like they all had a hand in it."

"Did they not? They tested you at their altars, they gave you their blessings, one way or another... without them, you might not have made it in time to stop the Sworn, and then who knows what would have happened." He looked her up and down. "You needed to be there. You're stronger now, stronger than we ever were, through no fault of our own. You cannot deny that."

Vael frowned at the thought. "I... suppose you're not... entirely wrong. But I'm still not entirely sure I agree."

He scoffed. "Well, only one of us is right." His words were tempered with a smile tugging at his translucent face, however.

As Vael explored the ruined consulate, she came across what might have been a secretary or concierge's desk at some point, half-burned but still mostly intact, Vael found a soot-covered records book. Her heart leaped into her chest as she wiped the page clear and read it. "Prince! Prince, look." He hurried to her side and peered down. "Here she is. Sadha, the Red Princess, and Escorts. She _was_ here." She lifted her head, looking over the smoking, and in places still burning, wreckage. "Hopefully we're not too late..."

"We mustn't be too late. She's still... here. I can feel her." He looked to the book, then to Vael. "She could be in trouble, we have to hurry."

Vael gave him a gentle smile as she stood away from the desk. "On it. Just a few more rooms to look through."

As they continued through the consulate, putting down more revenants and clearing more cursed fire, they eventually came upon what looked to have once been a church. Vael peered over the railing, then pointed out a corpse that lay next to an altar. "Look. Your Priest. He never fled." _'A brave sacrifice.' _Vael slowly shook her head. "It is a shame that it came to this. The Princess just wanted to free, and the Voidwoken chased her here to kill her, I'm assuming... All of this is the result of it."

The Prince stared at her. "What are you saying?"

Vael glanced back. "Not _that_. I'm not blaming her. It's just... sad."

He looked out over the wreckage and the bodies, then eventually nodded. "That I can agree with."

As they continued onward, they came to a charred set of doors that led into a further area they hadn't ventured into yet. As Vael shouldered the doors open, weakened locks and hinges giving way under the force... they came into the large, cultivated gardens, untouched by the fire. Vael gazed around herself, she couldn't help but smile slightly. "The gardens! A little taste of home... and untouched, by the fires."

"But not completely untouched." The Prince's spirit pointed to a portal in the center of the room. "A mystical portal to another dimension. How whimsical. Onward, then."

Vael glanced back to him. "You're quite cavalier about venturing into a portal that may well send me straight into lava or something of the sort."

He gave her a smug smile. "Of course I am. I can't die."

Vael shook her head. "Oh I'm not so sure of that," she teased in a singsong tone.

He gasped. "You wouldn't!?"

"Of course I wouldn't!" She huffed softly. "It was a joke."

He frowned at her as they stepped toward the portal. "It wasn't a very funny one."

Vael shook her head, staring at the portal before her. She had no idea where it was going to lead, what would happen at the end of it... She breathed a quiet sigh. "Well, here goes nothing, I suppose."

As Vael stepped through the portal, she could see billows of golden sand stretching beyond the whorls and whirls that rolled across the portal's surface. It wasn't clear if the portal allowed return travel - but as Vael stepped through, she was inclined to doubt it. The Red Prince slowly followed her through, and as he did, the portal subtly shifted - Vael noticed a spot of red before the sandy swirls that she hadn't seen before... the portal seemed to shift in response. Vael pressed on through, the portal closing around her and the Prince's spirit. She saw something that looked very much like an arena... then she finally stepped completely through.


	66. Dragons

As Vael's eyes cleared and the world around her reformed, she looked slowly around herself. They were in some kind of a sandy arena, somewhere she thought she recognized. "Is this... the training grounds? From back home?" Maybe it was _a _training grounds and not the one she was exactly thinking of, but they were eerily similar.

"This is horrorsleep." The Prince's spirit looked slowly around himself. "The realm of Dreamers... be careful here. All may not be as it seems."

Vael nodded and started to walk down the steps, down from the center rise that they were on when she heard a noise from behind herself. She looked back to see... Alexandar staring at her. "Alexandar! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I am here to tell you the truth... the terrible deep down truth... the inescapable deep down truth... you are not worthy. You were never worthy. You are not worthy... you will never _be_worthy..." 

Vael staggered back away from him. The Prince reached out toward her. "Vael! It isn't real, remember! It's a dream!"

She slowly shook her head. He was right, it was a dream, but Alexandar's voice still echoed in her head. She put her hands to her head, trying to shut him out. "It's fine, I'll be alright..." She forced herself to look up to Alexandar. "What the hell is going on here? You're dead. We _ate_ you."

"You are here for the truth... You're not going to like it..." The dead Bishop's face curled into a snarling sneer. "Your greatest fear come true. That you are not enough. No, you are not enough! You are not enough. You were never enough. You will never be enough. Come face the truth. Come face up to your lies..." Suddenly he was right before her, his dead, rotting face right before her own as he roared. "YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH." 

Vael stumbled back down the stairs, landing with a clank and clatter of metal across the ground. She slowly tried to push herself, back, her heart racing as Alexandar cackled. Mirrors suddenly sprung into view around them, Black Mirrors, on every side. The glass in the mirrors shimmered and... tore. Reality shifted. Apparitions began to take shape, and they seemed... familiar.

Malady and the Sourceress from the ship took shape within the mirrors, together chanting Alexandar's words. The weather overhead shifted, a sandstorm beginning to blow, gusts of wind carrying stinging sand across the arena. Heart racing and fear filling her veins... Vael ran. Everywhere she ran across the sands and stones of the arena, they were there, chanting. "You are not enough... you were never enough... you are not worthy. You will never be worthy."

She could hear a small voice inside of her, calling out to her, but the voices in her head were so loud... so clear, so insistent. Vael ran headlong into an apparition of Malady, crashing into her like she would a brick wall. She was thrown back, slamming into the ground and throwing up a cloud of sand that was carried away by the wind. "It's time you met an old friend..."

Malady gestured to the mirror beside her as someone began to step through. "It's time to accept an inescapable truth..." The figure spoke, the voice familiar... so familiar. The Red Prince unfolded himself from the mirror, once more in the flesh. His face rotten and burned, half of his mouth peeled away. "You were not the better of us, Vaeltorya. I should have lived. You should have died. _You are not worthy of taking my place._"

Vael scrabbled back and away from him, taking to her feet to run across the arena. Their laughter filled her ears, they were everywhere she turned. Her heart was racing so quickly she felt it was going to explode, she felt like she would never escape. She turned another corner to find ... The Red Prince. His spirit, standing in front of her.

His voice seemed to pierce the fear-laden fog within her mind. "They do not speak the truth, Vael. You know this. I died so that you may live." His voice, quiet and calm, seemed to still even the storm overhead. "We both know what would have happened. Our people would have suffered under a tyrant. We both know where it would have gone."

Vael shook her head, trying to clear her eyes of sand and tears of fear. "That's... that's not true! You would have been a good divine, a better one!"

"Listen to yourself!" He shouted at her. "You don't believe this."

Vael shook her head, she could hear the others approaching, still chanting. "I... I don't... but what if they're right? What if I'm not?"

He smiled softly toward her. "This is _horror_sleep, Vaeltorya... it's called that for a reason. Your fears brought to life. You have to fight it."

He gestured around himself with his hands. "None of this is real. They aren't real. You are the only one left. You have to become divine, there isn't anyone else. It doesn't matter if you're 'worthy', Vaeltorya." He gave her another, wider smile. "But for the record, on my honor as a Prince... I think you are."

She slowly shook her head, the storm above her seeming to clear, the raging sands starting to calm. "You're... you're right. This isn't real. This place isn't real. They're not real." She started to repeat herself, over and over. 'This isn't real. They aren't real.' She took a deep breath and reached for the sword on her back, still holding the Swornbreaker through all of this, somehow she hadn't dropped it in her fear-induced flight. "They aren't real."

Vael stepped toward the figures as they came around the corner ahead of her, slicing through the apparition of Alexandar. He vanished in a poof of smoke and dust, carried away on the wind. Vael grit her teeth, staring at the Sourceress, Malady, even the apparition of the Prince. "You. Aren't. Real." She cut down first one, then the other, expecting it to be over...

The mirrors around her shifted, tore once again, the figures emerging. "What? How could this...?" Vael felt the fear rising slowly within herself again.

The Bishop's apparition cackled. "Here you die... but we do not!"

Vael took a step back when she heard the Prince's spirit behind her. "The Mirrors, Vael. They're coming from the mirrors!" She looked around herself. He was right, she should have seen it, the mirrors, of course, the mirrors...

Vael roared as she charged the figures, swinging her weapon at them as hard as she could with one hand holding it. It crashed against stone, against wooden barricades, through the apparitions, and finally... a mirror. As the mirror shattered, more apparitions appeared, but they screeched in time with the falling shards of black glass. 

She charged them, charged the mirrors, smashing the apparitions despite their chanting, shattering mirror after mirror. As the final mirror cracked and fell away to dust, Vael was panting hard. "I will be enough! More than enough..." She looked up around herself - the storm was gone. She dropped to all fours on the ground, panting, trying to catch her breath. Her heart still raced, fear-induced adrenaline still coursing through her system. "We need to get the ... the hells out of here."

Vael looked up to see the Prince's spirit smiling down at her from a door she hadn't seen before. "I think you'll do just fine, Vael." He grinned. "Literally conquering your fears! You're well on your way."

She shook her head as she forced herself back to her feet. "Let's never do this again." She picked up her blade, sheathing it, then the Swornbreaker to hold it before herself. "Never would still be too soon."

As they approached the door that had appeared, it opened before them. Everything around them began to slowly go dark- when the light returned... they were somewhere else entirely. Vael stared curiously. "These are the banners of the House of War."

"My... our..." The Prince's spirit looked to Vael. "Your house."

As they looked around themselves, it was a fort Vael had never seen before, but it was covered in corpses. Burning banners, dead lizards. "What... is this?"

"This is still horrorsleep, remember. It is whatever it wants you to see."

"Right. Right." Vael hoped she wouldn't meet more horrors from her past... She was still shaken from before and wasn't sure if she could stand another round.

As they ventured closer, the Prince pointed ahead. "Look! Brahmos. He haunts even our nightmares, it seems... unless this particular nightmare is his..."

The elegant and imposing lizard appeared through the haze before them. Ignoring Vael completely, he bustled past her to the Red Prince, even in his spectral form. He genuflected before the Prince's spirit, going down on one knee. "Red Prince, Spouse of the Sun, _Anan Erchet! _I - your servant, Brahmos - I was keeping the portal at the consulate open for you, but, but... What happened to you, my Prince?"

He caught himself and turned to stare to glower at Vael, beady eyes bright with hostility. "What have you done? This was meant for the Prince's ears only, and look at what has become of him!"

The Prince stood tall. "She stands with me. Whatever you would have said to me, she may hear."

Vael leaned closer toward him. "How can he see you?", she muttered under her breath.

"I don't know." The Red Prince looked Brahmos up and down. "But be glad he can... I imagine he might have attacked you on sight, otherwise, and I dare not think of what might have happened if he did."

Vael nodded, then looked to the lizard for him to continue.

"Very well. My lord, there have been so many... obstacles. The House of Shadows, agents of the God King, and other trifles beneath your royal ears to suffer." He gestured to the Prince's spectral state. "And now... this." He shook his head. "But none of that bears thinking of _now. _For all that matters, Your Highness, is this: you are here in whatever form and the Red Princess awaits you!"

"The Princess!" The Prince stepped forward as if to grab him, strangle him, force him to speak, ghostly hands passing through Brahmos. "Where is she?" He continued unabated. "Out with it, man!"

"In the center of the dream, Your Majesty. In the sunset eye of the dragon. Agents of the God King seek her relentlessly. There is no hiding place safe enough for her in the material realm. Only in the Dream can she rest." He stared suspiciously at Vael.

"Lead us to her, Brahmos. Show us the way."

He bowed his head. "She's right there, my Prince. Cross the threshold. Pass through the iron door behind me." He reached out to hand the Red Prince's spirit something, then realized his mistake. He _very reluctantly _passed the key to Vael instead. "Majesty, she awaits you. Though I fear..." He looked over the Prince as he was now, then shook his head slowly. "Go, your Majesty."

Vael and the Prince hurried onward to the locked door, as they had before. Everything around them faded away, faded into the dark... As Vael appeared in whatever place they had next, she braced herself for another onslaught, another terrible vision, her eyes closed... And yet all she could hear was a gentle wind rustling the leaves of trees and plants, quiet birdsong, the gentle rush of water.

"This feels like... home." The Prince spoke softly at Vael's side.

She slowly opened one eye, then the other, looking around herself as she did... she had to admit he was right. It looked like a tiny slice of an oasis back home, a waterfall, a shallow river through the sands. A tiny slice of heaven in the heart of the desert. "My Prince... I ... she may not be able to see you." Vael turned to him, holding the Swornbreaker. "Is there anything I can say to convince her that you are here, to trust me?" She gestured with the Swornbreaker in her hands. "She might see this and think I am here as one of the God King's agents, to kill her."

The Prince thought on this for some time, staring at Vael, the weapon in her hands. "Tell her... tell her that her Prince loves her. That she is still the secret of his soul. Tell her that he has seen she will be the mother of dragons. That she must trust you."

Vael pursed her lips as she looked down toward the camp - she could see a figure there, pacing back and forth, bright red scales glimmering in the desert light. "I was hoping for something shorter, she might try to kill me before I can get all of that out."

The Prince shook his spectral head. "I have never been one to be short with words."

Vael bit back a retort as she climbed down into the basin where the Princess waited. Now probably wasn't the time.

As Vael approached, so did the Princess. Weapon already drawn, she raised it toward Vael, seeming like she might attack her immediately - then she paused. "You! You travel with the Red Prince! Please do bring him to me, for I long to see him."

Unsure of what else to do, Vael dropped to her knees - _both_ knees - immediately. She placed the Swornbreaker on the sands before herself. "My Princess-!"

The woman stumbled back as she realized what Vael had brought, her voice rising. "What is that!? What have you brought! Where is my Prince?!"

"My Princess, Sadha, please... Please, I bear you terrible news, but you must trust me!" Vael dared to peek up from where she lay, snout-first in the sand, hoping the Princess wouldn't make a terrible mistake for everyone involved.

The Prince's spirit stood nearby, his voice somewhat shrill with worry. "You have to tell her. Tell her what I said!"

"Where is my Prince!?" Sadha seemed to be catching on that something had gone wrong, terribly wrong. She stepped closer to Vael, her weapon readied. "Tell me where he is, or I swear to you I will cut you down where you stand."

"My Princess... My Princess, please... He is dead."

In an instant, Vael felt the Princess' blade on her neck, pressed against the scales hard enough she could feel it beginning to cut through with pressure alone. "How dare you!? This... This isn't true! It cannot be true! My Prince..."

"He is here, I-"

"Be silent! I should... I should..." The Princess stumbled back away from her. "My Prince... It's not true." She turned back to Vael, drawing a second dagger from behind herself. "You lie!"

"Please! He says that you are the secret of his soul. He says that he loves you. He's seen that you will be the mother of dragons."

"Tell her to trust you! Her Prince fears for her even still!" The Prince's spirit had stepped next to Vael, watching the scene unfold, helpless to do anything else.

"He begs you to trust me, my Princess. He fears for you." Vael closed her eyes, expecting to be stabbed at any moment... but no pain came.

After several long, tense moments of silence, she felt claws approaching through the soft sand toward her. "You speak as if he is here. You say he is dead. _Which is it!? _My heart cannot take this, it is already breaking..."

Vael slowly looked up. "He... he is beside me, my Princess." Vael glanced to where the Prince stood, translucent and silent. "He came with me. Beyond the grave. He would see you freed."

"But I cannot see him. How can I trust you? How can I know this isn't a trick?"

_'You can teach her.' _Vael paused. "What? How?"

"Who do you speak to? What is this?" Sadha began to look away from Vael, searching for hidden assassins, Vael could tell she was starting to lose the Princess, that things could go very wrong if she didn't do something soon.

She slowly raised herself up, eyes closed, hands held up in front of herself. _'Teach her to speak the spell and see. Teach her. As I did for you. You can do it.' _Vael slowly opened one eye, peering at the Princess. "I can... I can teach you. To see him. But you have to trust me, Princess. Please. I came here to help you. I brought you a Swornbreaker. Please..." She closed her eyes again, waiting to feel the dagger pressed back to her throat.

More silence, several, long minutes of silence. She heard metal sliding quietly against the leather of a sheath. "Is that... what that is? A Swornbreaker?"

Vael peeked one eye open - the Princess had put her daggers away, she stared at the scythe on the ground. "Yes. We brought it so that you can be free of the King."

Sadha looked up toward Vael, a vague glimmering of hope in her eyes. "We?"

Vael nodded as she pushed herself slowly to her feet, still holding her hands up in front of herself. "I told you. He is here... Let me teach you, my Princess. I can help you to see him."

The Prince's spirit looked to Vael. "Is this possible?"

Vael glanced at him. "I think so."

Sadha looked between Vael and the empty space she was speaking to, confusion... and hope slowly rising in her eyes. "How do I know this isn't a trick? That you won't cast a spell upon me? Bring me back to Him?"

Vael gently shook her head. "You have to trust me, my Princess. That is all I can offer you. He is here. He wants to see you. You have to trust me."

Sadha's hands reached slowly for her daggers once again, Vael winced and half turned her head away... Then Sadha slowly relaxed. "I... do what you must."

Vael swallowed hard, breathing out a soft, quiet breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She slowly lowered her hands, then took a careful step toward Sadha. "You... I have to ... to touch your face, my Princess. Okay?"

Sadha stared at her suspiciously, then seemed to realize she had no other choice. She reached up, removing the protective headdress she wore- Vael's eyes went wide as she stared at the Princess... the Prince was a lucky man. She was _beautiful_. "Very well."

Vael reached forward, touching gentle claws along the side of Sadha's face. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what Zorl-Stissa had done what felt like years ago. The gentle, warm transfer of Source from one to another, Vael whispered the words to the spell, ingraining them in Sadha's memory. Just as her Goddess had done, Vael pulled her claws away from Sadha's face. "Speak the spell... and see."

The Red Princess closed her eyes, hands clenched at her sides. For a moment, Vael thought it had all been for nothing, that she wouldn't do it, that she wouldn't trust - then Sadha breathed the words. Vael could see it the moment she'd done it, that slight flare of Source from the Princess. Her eyes snapped open, she looked around herself. Her dagger was instantly at Vael's throat again, pressing against the scales. "What have you done to m-" She froze, stock-still.

The dagger dropped from her hand. "My Prince!" She'd finally seen him standing beside Vael. Her face fell as she looked him up and down, tears springing to her eyes as she realized Vael wasn't lying. He stood before her, but as a spirit. He was dead. "No..."

"I... I'm sorry, my Princess." Vael lowered her head.

Sadha reached out, watching as her claws passed through the Prince's cheeks. She tried to touch him, again and again. "My Prince... with your every step toward me, my heart beat more happily. But... but this..."

He reached up, hovering his hand gently around her wrist. So close, but so far. The two couldn't touch. "I know, my Princess. My secret. I am sorry that I could not be here, not as you wished, as we wished."

She stepped back from him - Vael could see the heartbreak in her eyes, and yet, slowly, a steadily growing hope. "Come, look at the fruit of our union." The Princess' voice cracked. "A dragon as yet unhatched."

Vael glanced behind Sadha- what she'd thought might just be an especially large lump of coal in the fire... that was... an egg! An actual, honest-to-goodness dragon egg. They'd done it! They'd really done it...

The Prince stepped forward toward it, reaching out, his hands passing wholly through the shell. "It is... beautiful."

Sadha slowly nodded her head. "There are more eggs lying upon velvet cushions in my tent." She clasped her hands in front of herself, up near her throat, seemingly unsure of what else to do with them. "Dragons-to-be, yet all too vulnerable as they lie dormant in their shells... That is why I had to retreat here, to keep them safe." She looked to the Prince, tears running slowly down her muzzle. "What is yet unborn will one day spawn an empire. We must... I must-" her voice broke, and she looked down to the ground, unable to speak for moments more. "I must protect them, my love."

"The House of Shadows cannot touch you here, Sadha. They are safe."

She shook her head. "There is another. _The_ other... The God King."

He stared at her, confusion on his face. "The God King? But... but why? Why would you swear yourself to him?"

Sadha looked away from her Prince, unable to look at him. "It seems inconceivable to me now, but in my blackest hour, I turned to him for guidance." She looked slowly back up to him. "You must know, my prince, I was desperate. The House of Shadows closed in around me, determined to kill me before I could become the mother of dragons." She looked down to the ground, the sands below her. "Then there was a voice, promises of protection and power in kingdom come... I became sworn to the God King, but when I saw his followers - the vilest creatures one could conceive - I realized how poisoned his gifts would be. I did the only thing I could do: I appealed to our old champions of the House of Dreams and fled here, into a world untouchable by our foes."

She looked to the Swornbreaker before her, her hands clasped before herself. "But I cannot stay here forever. Our children must return to Rivellon and fulfill their destinies. However, as long as I am Sworn, as long as the God King lives, this is impossible." She looked to Vael, pleading with her. "Tell me you will allow me to use this. This... thing. To free myself."

Vael bowed low and slowly stepped away from the Swornbreaker laying on the sands. "The only reason I did not come sooner is that I did not have one. It is yours, my Princess. Do with it as you will."

She gasped quietly and reached for it, taking it from the ground. Her hands trembled, the weapon shaking slowly in her hands. As she took hold of it, something... something _other_ became visible, a black tendril, rising from her heart into infinity. With shaking hands, but a decisive cut, she sliced through it with the scythe. There was a soft, distant hiss... and it evaporated. She was free. She was Sworn no longer.

She stared around herself, through the open air. She dropped the scythe, the black blackened, burned, ruined, to the ground. "The curse has lifted! The dread voice of the King is gone!"

The Prince's spirit turned to Vael. "Where did you _find _it?"

She shook her head and muttered back to him. "Long story."

She tried to hug the Prince, her arms passing through him, then turned to Vael instead, her arms- surprisingly strong, wrapping around her and lifting her several inches from the sands below before she put Vael back down. "You have set me free!"

Vael coughed awkwardly and was very, _very_ glad that her scales hid the blush on her cheeks. "Y-you are welcome, my Princess."

The Prince looked between Vael and Sadha. "But you'll never be truly free of the God King as long as he threatens all of Rivellon. There is only one course of action left open to us:" He turned to Vael. "To you. You must face the dead king and kill him."

Sadha turned to the egg behind her. "My prince, your children could have helped you..." Her hand lovingly caressed over the shell of the egg. "Were you still here, you could have taken one of the eggs and engulfed it in fire. If you had done so, your child would have been born, ready even now to fight at your side. But now..." Her voice trailed off.

Vael looked to the Prince, then back to Sadha. "I'm sorry, my Princess."

The Prince seemed almost horrified. "Sadha! The child will be a dragon, yes, but to expose it to such danger? I'm just not quite certain this would be the right course of action."

Vael looked slowly between the two of them. "I... I have flames too. It won't be their father's fire, but... But I could do it, in his stead."

Sadha looked from Vael, to the Prince, then back again. She seemed unsure.

The Prince considered this for some time- when he spoke again, his spirit's voice was quiet. "What say you, Sadha?"

Eventually, the Princess nodded her head. "I agree. You have long traveled the road at his side. You were there, when..." She shook her head. "If he trusts you, then I trust you. The God King must burn, so under your command let our child be the all-consuming fire!"

The Princess looked down to a ring she wore on her claws, another tear dripped slowly down her muzzle. "I... were you here, my Prince, I would have given you this ring. A symbol of my promise. The ancient Circle of Suns. By this ring, I would make thee one with fire, and one day, by this ring I would thee wed." She slowly pushed the ring back onto her finger, securing it in place. "Now only in Dreams..."

Vael looked from the Prince, then to Sadha, then once more she slowly sank down onto one knee. "My Princess..."

The Prince looked to Vael, confused, but didn't speak.

"If... if everything goes well, goes to plan... soon I shall be divine. I swear to you, on that power, on that strength... When the day comes, I will stand at your side." She raised her head, looking up to Sadha. "You will return to the Empire. As queen. Your children will flourish. The world will be theirs."

Sahda slowly shook her head. "The Prophecy cannot be complete. We were to wed. I, a Princess of Law. He, a Prince of War. Our joining would create the House of Dragons."

Vael shook her head in turn. "You will be the Queen. With my strength behind you... _create_ the House of Dragons. Bring it to life by your own hands. Create it _despite_ what has happened. Show fate, the God King... they will control you no longer."

Sadha opened her mouth, closed it. She stared at Vael, then slowly nodded her head. "With the support of a divine... anything could be possible."

The Prince looked to Vael, she thought if he was still alive, he might be crying. "Do you mean this?"

Vael nodded once. "I swear it, to the both of you. I will do anything I can."

_'You will have many enemies in this endeavor, my chosen.' _Vael stared hard at the ground. "It doesn't matter. I will be divine. They will stand aside or be moved."

Sadha clasped her hands in front of herself. "Yonder portal will take you back to Rivellon, where the God King awaits." She looked at Vael. "Good luck... I regret that I still do not know your name."

Vael stood, bowing her head to the Princess. "Vaeltorya, my Princess."

Sadha nodded once time. "Good luck, Vaeltorya." She looked to the Prince's spirit. "And what of..."

Vael looked to him, then back to the Princess, then back to the Prince. "Why don't you stay with her, Prince? She can see you. I know it's..." She gestured to him. "Not what you hoped..."

He looked to Sadha, raising his ghostly hands to hover above the Princess's own. "We will make do."

Vael turned to the egg before her, stepping past Sadha. She glanced to the Princess, who was staring lovingly into the Prince's spectral eyes. She realized Vael was looking at her, then looked to the egg. She nodded once.

Calling upon the Source within herself, Vael set her hands aflame, closing her eyes. She didn't want to destroy the egg, merely bathe it in flames, she slowly lowered her hands around it, hearing the soft, faint crackling of the shell...

The egg cracked open... a small dragon's head became visible. It looked at the world around it and roared, flame bursting from its mouth. Though but moments born, Vael could already feel the _terrible _power of this creature.

Sadha's voice broke as she stared at the dragon. "Look at it! Look, my Prince." 

He nodded, at a loss for words, everything he'd striven for come true.

"Isn't it magnificent?" Sadha finally turned to Vael. "A tiny titan ready to burst forth with unstoppable force."

The dragon heard its mother's voice and roared again. Spreading its wings, all of the shell gave way. 

It had happened. For the first time in millennia, a Great Red Dragon was born.

Unsure, for a moment, of what to do, Vael stood and watched it. It was... cute, in its own way. She reached down and carefully lifted it in her arms, bringing it over to Sadha and the Prince, so they could see it. It climbed and curled it's way up and around Vael's head, claws clutching to her armor as it peered at its mother over Vael's frills... it didn't appear that it could see the Prince.

It cooed a small noise, a tiny gout of flame breathing fitfully from flared nostrils, then it peered down at Vael. Eyes narrowed, she steadily became aware that a tiny, armored titan was wrapped thoroughly around her head. A tiny titan with incredibly sharp claws.

Vael heard a quiet- but no less menacing for the diminutive size of its originator- growl rising from within the dragon's throat. Vael swallowed hard, then did the first thing that came to mind - she began to hum the quiet, ancient lizard lullaby that she'd read within the book. That Zorl-Stissa herself had sung to Vael when they'd first met. The same tune that her mother had sung to Vael when she was a child.

The dragon seemed to settle then, relaxing on its perch upon Vael's head. She looked to Sadha and the Prince's spirit with a nervous chuckle. "I think it likes me."

Sadha smiled pleasantly, lifting a hand to rub a claw along the small dragon's chin. "May it protect you always."

Vael looked to the Prince with a drawn, sad smile. "I think this is goodbye. Again."

He shrugged one shoulder as he watched her. "Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps one day you will see me again. But for now... you're right." He turned to look at Sadha. "It's not perfect. It's not what we wanted. But until it's safe for her to return... I will be here, with her."

Vael nodded, then started to step toward the portal, the dragon still wrapped around her head. "Good luck, my Prince! I will keep my vow, I promise you!"

He raised a hand toward her as Vael stepped toward the portal. "I will haunt you if you don't, remember that!"


	67. Adramahlihk

Leaving through the portal proved to be quite a bit easier than entering into the one that had brought her here in the first place. There was no arena full of horrors, no ghosts of her past, literal and figurative, to haunt her. Just the quiet silence of the garden around her, the dragon wrapped faithfully around her head. That ... would take some getting used to, she imagined. But at the same time, she worried. She didn't necessarily want to be taking a dragon to go run around Arx, imagine the fear it would cause. And she didn't want it to see the things she'd have to do, she still owed the Doctor a visit, after all... That seemed to be the last thing left on her list. The Doctor. Then was the _real _list... She'd have to see the Toymaker, take the final steps toward divinity... She felt somewhat safe in waiting, no one could get past the Path of Blood, Lucian's corpse would be waiting for her.

As she stepped away from the portal, Vael heard a voice behind her. "Red Prince! Usurper; destroyer; fiend!"

She slowly closed her eyes with a quiet sigh, turning herself around - a golden-armored black and red lizard stood above her on the veranda that overlooked the pool the portal had been created in. "Let me guess. The Shadow Prince, leader of the House of Shadows?"

"Too long have you elud-" He paused, staring down at Vael. "Wait, you're not the Prince."

"No. He's dead." Vael put her hands on her hips. "Can I go now?"

The Shadow Prince moved to say something, to speak... then he saw the dragon on Vael's head move, looking up toward him. His jaw dropped, in an instant his weapons were in his hands. "A dragon!? I won't allow it. _THAT THING DIES WITH YOU!_"

Vael snarled, drawing her blade from behind her back. "I'm taking that as a no!"

The Shadow Prince and his assassins proved to be formidable... or would have, were they fighting anyone else. But against Vaeltorya, against the dragon that rode across her head, spraying fire at anything that moved, singeing assassins to ashes on the spot... They proved woefully inadequate. The Shadow Prince himself was the last to fall, trying to skirt around Vael's blade. The small dragon's tail whipped across his face, blinding him with a crack to the eyes before Vael's blade found her mark, leaving the garden quiet once again, the pool stained with blood.

The Shadow Prince's spirit rose from his corpse as Vael washed her blade clean, staring up at him. Even in death, his eyes were black holes in a black-skinned sky. He bowed with the deference of a noble among nobles: swinging ever so playfully between sincerity and sarcasm. "I suppose I should start with an apology for the attempt on your life. Talk about getting off on the wrong foot, wouldn't you say?"

Vael looked around herself at all the bodies, the Shadow Prince's own among them. "_Failed_ attempt."

"To my astonishment, and - I admit - my admiration. You may find this hard to believe, but given different circumstances, I would have been quite content to let you live. Let the Prince live, playing emperor from his golden throne in the golden city. Tell me... is it true? He is dead?"

Vael nodded once. "Nothing that _you_ did... but yes, he has fallen."

"Alas, so it seems certain events beyond even my control were set in motion."

"But _why?_" Vael shook her head. "Why did you want him dead so badly?"

"Ripples became waves. I had to act. So I arranged for him to meet with an unfortunate, self-inflicted end."

Vael smirked. "If you really wanted him dead, you would have had to do it yourself." She breathed a quiet sigh. "But someone else did it for you, I guess."

The Shadow Prince slowly shook his head. "What colorful folk he traveled with." He looked Vael over, all alone, save for the dragon around her neck, all his dead assassins, his own body. "It's almost a pity we found ourselves on such opposite sides. All because of who he was and all because of who _she_ is."

Vael smirked just enough. "Yes. _Her_. Who is still quite alive. And with her Prince... more or less."

He looked toward Vael, a hint of anger just barely tugging at his eyes. "It was Sadha who set events in motion. If the Prince was the ripple, she was the wave. Her selfish desires - her need to spawn a _murder of dragons_ \- led us to this moment."

Vael reached up, running a claw slowly over the scales of the dragon child that clung to its roost. "And yet, they live. And you do not."

"And I would destroy all, had I the power to will it so." He glared at the dragon child, then looked back to Vael, eyes hardened. "The simple truth of the matter is that, yes, we lizards were dragons once. The mightiest creatures to rule sky, earth, and sea. But such was the jealousy of our power that all other races united against us and brought us to the brink of extinction."

Vael sent a questioning little tendril within. "Is this the truth?" _'More or less. A failed experiment, you could say.'_

The Shadow Prince watched Vael suspiciously, perhaps wondering who she was speaking to before he put it aside and continued. "No-one knows what happened next. Was it wizardry? Was it Zorl-Stissa who took mercy on us even then? Suddenly we were dragons no more. Lizards instead. And as lizards, we flourished and built an empire once more. But the House of Dreams trades in prophecy. They've always known we could be dragons again, for '_one day a man and a woman will be born, and their skin will be red, and the fruit of their union will be Great Red Dragons'._" He stared hatefully at the creature poised atop Vael's head as if it was the most comfortable perch in the world. 

"A future fulfilled. Dragons are among us even now." Vael pointed to the red being on her head.

"Listen to me. It is not too late to heed my warning! Should we become dragons, the other races will drive us into extinction." He seemed to be pleading and begging with Vael.

"Listen, Shadow Prince. Whatever you _think _will happen... it won't. Sadha lives. I am soon to be divine, should fate not turn against me, despite my wishes. I will ensure that what you fear will not come to pass. Our people won't fall. Not while I live."

He stared at her, long and hard. "And so I must trust you will keep your word."

He turned away from her then and Vael slowly shook her head. She looked up to the dragon atop her head. "What am I ever going to do with you?"

The little dragon child chittered playfully.

_'Bring him to Malady. On the Lady. He can rest in safety there until events are settled.' _Vael nodded at the thought, but still, she wondered... "If we really _were_ dragons... what happened? Did you turn us into lizards?" _'What's past has passed. Does it matter now who did what?' _Zorl-Stissa just seemed... tired. It worried Vael more than she wanted to admit. "No, I suppose not."

She reached up to scratch softly along the dragon's chin with a claw. "Come on then, you. I have a doctor's visit to keep and I don't think you'll be too safe there."

\-----

With the dragon child stowed more or less safely on the ship - Malady hadn't seemed too pleased about her new charge but a glare from Vael seemed to be enough to get her to agree to let it stay - Vael continued onward toward the east side of the city. She knew having the - literal - firepower available would have been useful... but if something had happened to it she wouldn't have been able to forgive herself. The east side of the city proved a little quieter than the west had been - whatever Voidwoken had made it this far seemed to have been minimal at best.

A section of the street did seem to have collapsed down into the cavernous sewers below, but given how deep they seemed to go and how large they were, Vael supposed that a single, relatively small collapse was better than the alternative.

As Vael continued onward, she came to the end of a long, solitary road. Across a bridge, flanked by banners and statues, behind a gate... stood a large, black house. Vael whistled as she looked at it, it almost looked like a warehouse more than a home, but the black brick that made it was certainly distinctive. "If I was an evil demon doctor... That's where I'd be," Vael muttered as she started across the bridge.

The closer she got to the home, the more she got the feeling that she shouldn't be here, that she should leave... until she crossed a threshold across the bridge, through the gate, and the feeling disappeared. It was a strange sensation, to be sure, but she didn't know what would have caused it. The house wasn't _that_ scary.

A large door awaited her as she stepped up the stairs onto the front porch. It was the same kind of door that they'd seen on the Lady Vengeance, a disputostium. Where did people even get doors like this anymore? As Vael stepped up to it and gave it a shove, it did not open. A creeping sensation came over her - as if the door was _examining _her. Finally, it spoke. "The doctor is not taking visitors."

"I was invited. You open, or I break you down." Vael stared at it. She wasn't about to start being sassed by a door.

The door seemed to reconsider. "Please step inside. The Doctor may see you. Perhaps."

As Vael stepped through the door, it closed behind her. Ahead of her, a nurse sat at a reception desk, covered in letters and papers. The nurse stared openly at her, his eyes a pitiless black, like a hungry shark. "You... you are _known. _You are on the doctor's books. He awaits you; go to him."

Vael curled a lip at the odd, strange elven man, turning to move away.

As she did, she heard him calling after her. "Your flesh has such _perfume_... I am drunk on you."

Vael slowly shook her head as she continued onward... she had half a mind to kill this 'doctor', this Adramahlihk, just so the creepiness would stop... She knew that's what was going to happen - she wasn't leaving this building until he was dead. For Lohse. One last promise to fulfill before the end.

As Vael ventured further through the house, the fact that the whole place stank of death and decay became steadily more obvious. Glances to either side showed corpses lying openly on racks, some half-there, pieces and parts removed with surgical precision. Some simply... lay, in the open, steadily rotting away, forgotten or awaiting some operation once they'd reached a certain... ripeness. It made Vael want to gag, but she kept herself together as she moved toward the rear of the house. She could tell there was _something_ ahead, waiting for her.

She passed a large, open archway, her eyes being drawn into that section of the house. She turned, spotting a... rather normal-looking human man sitting behind a desk. As she came into view, he stood, a cordial smile on his face as he walked to the edge of the small rise his desk sat upon. "Welcome, my friend. I'm glad you could come. Tell me, what ails you?" He had all the pleasant bedside demeanor of an actual doctor, but Vael could see... _something _lingering behind him, a malignant shadow that drowned out everything else in the room. The candles seemed to gutter just from the presence of it, their light dimmed as a result.

The Doctor placed a hand on the railing before him as he gestured toward Vael. "You should know that I have forgiven you your little indiscretion with the irritating Jahan. But you owe me. At least hear me out. We should work together. We share a common cause."

Vael started to speak, to wonder what he could ever want with her, why she'd even consider working with him when she remembered Jahan. His advice to her - _do not let it speak_.

She closed her mouth and looked up to the doctor, hand rising to the hilt of her blade. "I know your name, _doctor_. Adramahlihk."

The Doctor stared at her in shock. The word seemed to hurt him, he hissed in anger. The presence behind him began to grow... "_Do not say that name!" _He quickly recovered his composure, adjusting his suit. "Now. You don't know yet what I'm about to propose. Take a moment. At least hear me out. And if you're inclined to respond with violence, well-" He looked to her hand on her blade. "Just know you cannot hurt me in my own home."

"No deals, Doctor. You're done."

"Then you may see yourself out. And keep your hands off the valuables." The doctor shifted, the _presence _behind him growing real enough that Vael could hear a snarl. She felt the ground around her fall away, she cried out in shock as she impacted the ground, the door in the front of the doctor's house, where she'd been teleported, slamming shut. "The doctor is not taking visitors."

Vael snarled as she stood, drawing her blade.

The door exploded inward in a shower of wood fragments, flames, and embers, the nurse at the desk killed instantly by shrapnel from the destroyed door. Vael stepped through the threshold, wreathed in flames. "_ADRAMAHLIHK. YOU DIE TODAY._"

She stormed through the home, trailing fire, the other nurses staring in shock and quickly gathering behind her as she ran to the back of the house. The doctor was waiting for her, standing next to the railing. The _thing _behind him so large and so real that it was nearly _here_. It was _almost_ enough to give Vael pause. "I am done walking on eggshells. Now you die," she snarled at him.

The doctor just chuckled at her. "You should have left when you had the chance... Now you stay with the Doctor... forever." The thing behind him shifted until it was the fore, standing on tentacled legs. It was almost _feminine_ in appearance, despite the masculine voice and way it presented itself, standing almost well over twice Vael's height. It burst into the room with a rush of power, so strong it very nearly managed to push Vael backward across the floor. She resisted it, forced herself to face the doctor, this Adramahlihk... she'd made a promise, she was going to keep it one way or another.

The thing appeared casting spells, not even fully formed and it was exerting it's will upon the world. It launched flame after flame at Vaeltorya, growling deep within its chest as flames rebounded from flames, setting the 'Doctor's' own office alight. It slithered over the railing, down toward, her swiping with massive claws. Vael dove out of the way, floorboards and furniture shattering behind her as she went, splinters clattering across the floor and over the walls.

A trio of demons had appeared with the doctor, one of them jumped at Vael, swinging a massive blade almost as large as her own. She side-stepped it, diving to the side as the creature's blade crashed into the floor, throwing more splinters. Vael shifted to swing, her eyes went wide as another massive fist sailed toward her. She ducked, a splatter of blood coated the ground and her armor as it was eviscerated by Adramahlihk's swinging claws. Vael popped up underneath the arm, she lashed out with her blade, slicing a deep gouge into the side of the demon.

It howled, reeling back - Vael imagined it'd been a long time since anyone had made it bleed. "How!? What is this strength?!"

Vael snarled as flames rose up around her, engulfing the wood where she stood, slowly spreading across the floor. "I am _Godwoken_."

The battled raged across the home, doors splintered, walls shattered, flames and sparks dancing across the rich paneling and upholstery as their duel destroyed the interior of the doctor's home. Adramahlihk landed several blows, glancing at most - Vael didn't think even she could take a full swing of the massive demon's claws - leaving her armor torn in places. But Vael had landed several more blows upon the beast and it left a trail of blood across the home as they battled.

The nurses had become collateral damage, Vael didn't even know whether she or Adramahlihk had killed more of them. Swinging blade, flashing claws, spells deflected off of flames tore a path of devastation through the building. Weakening, Adramahlihk lunged for Vael, trying to tear through her armor, cut her in half. She lunged back, leaping out of the way, her blade singing through the air as she did.

The creature screamed, reeling back as it's massive arm flew through the air, trailing a river of blood and gore behind it. Adramahlihk roared, loud enough to shatter glass, blow out damaged walls, drive Vael back across the floor. It rushed forward, jaws open, claws raised. It would kill Vael or be killed. She braced herself, lowered her sword like a lance, and charged.

Adramahlihk staggered back, Vael's blade sticking out of it's gut like a spear through a shield. It clutched at the blade, gasping curses and for breath, shredding the fingers of its remaining hand, tentacles across the blade as Vael steadily advanced upon it. It gasped, raising a ruined hand. "No! Wait! A deal-"

"You have something that's mine." Vael gripped the hilt of her sword, then turned so that her back was to the creature. She gathered her strength within her legs, then rocketed herself into the air.

A long, drawn-out, gurgling scream echoed from the creature as Vael tore her blade through it from abdomen to shoulder, cutting it nearly in half. Tentacles, a remaining arm, flailed as it screeched and gurgled... and finally died. It collapsed down onto the ground in a veritable flood of blood and gore, hot enough to sizzle on Vael's armor where it landed. Tentacles twitched and spasmed in the throes of death before it slowly, finally, grew still.

Vael leaned over and spat on the corpse. "About time." She placed her dripping blade over her shoulder and walked out of the Doctor's burning home, hearing a section of ceiling creak and collapse behind her as she went. She stopped just outside the building in the large, open courtyard between it and the bridge, watching as flames began to steadily engulf the home. As Vael looked to her side, she saw a very confused spirit standing there, watching her. "Yes?"

"What... what happened?" The elven man put his hand on his head. "The last thing I remember was hunting the... _The Doctor_. He did this to me... but he's no more - I can feel his presence has extinguished. I am free."

Vael smiled at it, nodding her head, blood still dripping from the end of her muzzle. "You are. You're free."

"The long nightmare is over... now I can rest... we can all rest... Farewell..." The gentle breeze from the sea blew across the courtyard, the spirit's Source slowly drifting away on the wind.

The gust fanned the flames, the building's roof collapsing with a rush of wind and flame, citizens from all over Arx already crossing the bridge to see what was happening. "The Doctor! The Doctor's home is burning! Call someone!"

Vael slunk quietly away in the confusion, she needed to get herself clean before she attracted attention.


	68. Puppets

Vaeltorya knew that there was nothing standing in her way now. No promises, no other tasks, no other concerns. All that stood before her and the end of the road was the Path of Blood and a way to get around it.

_'It is time, my champion. You must face your task. What you were chosen for.'_

"I know. I know." Vael had headed back closer to the center of town - the rain had done a very good job of washing her clean, but she'd slipped off of the docks into the river near Kemm's estate to clean herself the rest of the way. A quick dip to wash away blood before it dried and she was good as new.

She climbed back up onto the street, looking to and fro, from the gates, all the way back toward the great Cathedral. "We just need to find Sanders, then ... I guess that will be the end."

As Vael walked up the street toward the Cathedral - she imagined Sanders' shop was probably closer to that than it was the gate and the destroyed area near there - she heard a quiet little sound behind her, like wind whipping through the branches of a tree. She raised a brow curiously as she turned her head behind her to see an... elven spirit.

"You ended my suffering." The woman stared at her as if she was supposed to recognize her.

"I, um... you're welcome?" Vael gave a somewhat awkward smile. "Happy to help."

"I am a projection of the spirit of Eleanessa. The demon is dead. I am no longer his slave. You have my gratitude. Fare you well, demon-slayer. Fare you well." She bowed her head.

Vael repeated the gesture, bowing her head and closing her eyes. She heard the quiet sound of creaking tree-boughs, and when she looked up, the spirit was no more. She breathed out a quiet little 'huh' and looked around herself - nobody seemed to have noticed - then shook her head as she moved on. She'd almost forgotten about the tree... it was good that she'd gotten closure too.

She moved to the main square of the city, looking around herself for anywhere that might be this toyseller's home. She saw plenty of stalls, shops and trading carts set up, but nothing that looked like a bunch of toys... until Vael's eyes caught sight of a poster hanging from a wall near a door. Teddybears, dice, blocks, balls, wooden figurines... She imagined this was where she would find Sanders.

As Vael pushed the door open, a quiet little bell rang to alert the proprietor that she was here. He turned to look to her - a kindly-looking old man, by the looks of him - and smiled widely to Vael. "A _visitor... _Tell me, do you like puppets?"

Vael gave him a confused look, then eventually gave him a somewhat noncommittal shrug. "I... guess? They're... alright, I guess, a little... weird." She looked to one sitting on the countertop, something about it _unsettled_ her.

The toyseller nodded and smiled, clearly not listening to a word Vael'd said. "_Wonderful! _Here, take a look at this." He turned to his side and infused a tiny amount of Source into the puppet, Vael could see it flowing from his hand into the doll.

It sprung up all at once, staring at Vael. "HELLO. WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY?"

Vael sprung back with a screech of surprise. "By the Seven, what is that!?"

Sanders still didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. "Impressive, no? There's a lot of craftsmanship in that small package. _Quite _a lot."

_'This man is not all there.' _Vael slowly nodded, staring at Sanders and the puppet all the while.

Sanders _finally _seemed to realize that she was an actual person standing there, something like an air of clarity coming over his face. "You're... Toyseller Sanders, right?" When the man nodded once, a simple smile on his face, Vael continued. "I found Lord Arhu. He was being held captive by Linder Kemm, but now he's sent me here so that I can learn how to traverse the Path of Blood." Vael stared at him as she finished talking, hoping at least some of that got through.

"Held captive? By _Kemm_...? Are you certain?"

Well, at least some did get through, though not all of it apparently. "I need a Source Amulet. And a Scroll of Atonement. He told me you have them."

He breathed a shuddering sigh. "Then I was right to sequester myself here with my puppets - trusting _people_ is a folly."

Vael raised her upper lip slightly as she watched him turn back to his puppet. "... right."

"But it seems that you are to enter the Tomb of the Divine, and I am to help you get there." He turned back up to Vael, looking her in the eyes. "So be it. In order to pass the first chamber, you'll need an amulet that's charged with Source. Five souls' worth, to be precise." He passed the amulet into her hands. "Here - take this amulet and fill it with Source. When you've done that, return to me, and I'll tell you what must be done next."

He placed the amulet into her hands. "Wear the amulet as you consume Source - the excess power will be siphoned into it until it is full." He looked at the amulet, then to her. "Good luck. You may need it."

Vael watched him turn away from her, back to his toys and puppets, then looked at the amulet. "Do we have 'five souls' worth of Source?"

_'You have more than that yourself... but charging the amulet will weaken you significantly. It may be wise to seek other avenues.'_

"_Other avenues_? You mean... you know, tearing the souls out of innocents." Vael stared at the amulet - Sanders walked around his shop, speaking to various toys and other things, he seemed to have entirely forgotten that Vael was even there - then shook her head. "I can't do that. If only we'd had this thing when we were, you know... Kemm and Isbeil and the others." Vael sighed to herself and her passenger. "No, we'll have to charge it ourselves."

_'I am weakening quickly, Vaeltorya. I do not have much to give.' _Vael gave a wry sort of smile. "Well, I meant 'we' since... nevermind. I never meant that you would have to give anything up." She gave a worried look to the amulet as she raised it up around her neck and slid it on. "I'm glad we did this _after _fighting Kemm and all the others... especially that demon."

_'Fortuitous timing indeed.'_

Vael closed her eyes and breathed a quiet sigh, focusing on the amulet around her neck. In some ways, it actually reminded her quite a bit of herself... She could _feel_ the empty space within it, waiting for Source to enter it, fill it... It was almost amazing that something this small could contain so much Source. Vael gathered the strength within herself and slowly focused it upon the amulet she wore, 'pushing' it upward and into the small space within. She could feel herself steadily weakening as she did - she supposed it wasn't so much 'weakening' as 'going back to normal', but that didn't make her feel much better about it.

As she finally finished, her head spun. She could suddenly feel all the trials and tribulations of the previous days, all the weary muscle, injuries. It made her legs weak, her arms feel heavy - her armor suddenly felt so heavy that she could barely stand. The sensation of weakness passed quickly, but Vael could tell that without the Source she'd put into the amulet, she was... lesser.

_'You still have what I gave you, my chosen, but...' _Vael could hear the worried tone within Zorl-Stissa's voice. _'Will that be enough for the trials ahead?'_

Vael took the amulet off and stared at it, dangling it in front of her eyes. That deep-seated hunger that had been instilled within herself rushed back, all at once - all the Source she'd consumed, had absorbed, seemed to have sated it, but now that it was gone it gnawed harshly at her insides. "It's going to have to be."

She swallowed hard and pushed herself back up to her full height, then looked to Sanders, trying to get his attention. "Hey, hey, toyseller... The amulet's full."

He stared at her, lost in his own little world until he saw the amulet and a smile broke onto his face. "Greetings! I trust that the _item_ I gave you is having the desired effect...?"

"It's charged."

"Fully charged, you say...? Already?" He looked from the amulet to Vael and back to the amulet. "That would mean that five souls worth of Source has been, erm... actually, I'd rather not dwell on exactly _how _you charged the device so quickly. Onto the next matter:" For once, he seemed completely lucid, "You'll need the Scroll of Atonement. It's locked in my desk on the second floor. The password is 'Giyora'."

"When you have both the charged amulet and the scroll," Vael could tell he was slowly fading back into whatever... fog seemed to fall over him, "go to the Path of Blood. On the left side of the chamber, on a pillar near Lucian's statue, you should see a hidden mechanism. It will clear the way." He looked up to Vael as the last of the lucidity left his eyes and he fell back into whatever stupor carried him around his shop, speaking to toys. "Don't talk to the statue..."

Vael watched him wander off, frowning just a little bit as she watched him go. "What _happened_ to him?"

_'Arhu suggested he was always strange. He may just be like that.'_

Vael shook her head as she headed toward the back of the shop. She'd need to get the Scroll, then go meet Arhu to find out what else had had to tell her. She found the back of the shop being watched by, for lack of a better word, guard-puppets, but they didn't pay her any mind. She ascended to the second floor, finding herself in and among dozens, if not hundreds of various toys, objects, and other things. More of the puppets wandered around up here, minding their own business... at least until they weren't anymore.

One of the puppets stared at her, an odd sort of grinding coming from within it until it started to speak. "PAPA'S PERMISSION GRANTED! YOU MAY PASS, FRIEND, AND-" It began to gurgle and smoke, the puppet's shell slowly twisting. The puppet's words choked off. It spasmed and flared with Source. Then it was still once more... and a different voice emerged from within.

A dark, guttural voice Vael recognized all too well - the God King. "_YOU! _You have hampered me long enough. This place will be your tomb - the only one you shall enter."

Across the attic, the God King's ghastly laughter echoed as all the other puppets spasmed and flared with Source, each of them suddenly turning beady, dead eyes toward Vael in turn. She quickly drew her sword and stepped back. "Ohhh, I _hate _puppets!"

It certainly wasn't helping that she felt so _weak_. She'd been hoping that she'd be the first to get to Lucian's tomb, that she wouldn't have to fight until she'd had her strength restored - it felt so strange to have had all that power, all that strength, speed... only to have it all gone. Vael was forced to dodge puppets launching themselves after, tiny weapons flailing. She couldn't believe how _slow_ she felt.

_'Now you know what it is to be me as I drain away!' _Vael growled as she slammed her sword down upon a puppet - thankfully they were still _puppets_, not built for combat. "Not really helping right now, but good motivation!", she grunted, as she side-stepped another puppet, letting it slam into the wall next to her. She pushed herself backward, practically sitting on it, crushing it between herself and the weight of her armor and the floor with a resounding _thud_.

She was forced to throw herself to the side to avoid one of the puppets launching knives at her. "Sanders really needs to figure out what are and aren't toys!" She forced herself up, another knife clanging off of her armor. Yet another sliced along her cheek, drawing a yelp of pain from her as she staggered to her feet. It amazed her that the hardest battle she'd fought all day wasn't against Kemm, wasn't against Adramahlihk, it was against _puppets._

Bruised, scratched, cut and battered, but victorious... if she could even call it that, the last pupped crackled and died in shards upon the floor - Vael had toppled a bookcase over on it and crushed it underneath. She huffed out quiet breaths, leaning against the wall. "You know, maybe this mortality stuff isn't all it's cracked up to be... Divinity's looking better by the moment." She pushed herself off of the wall with a groan, pulling a bit of cloth off of the floor. She didn't know where it'd been, or what it'd once been part of, it'd fallen out of a box one of the puppets smashed. She slowly dabbed at her face with it, hissing at some of the cuts on her scales. "Yikes. Little jerks."

Vael wandered slowly over to where the desk she'd been mentioned sat - it almost looked like a _shrine_ more than a desk, a picture of Alexandar resting over the top of it. "Hmmm..." Vael stared at the whole thing, the tiniest little pang of guilt in her gut before she shook her head and examined it more closely. The desk was locked tight, instead of a keyhole, there was a gilded inlay that bore an engraving: 'It was all for you'. Beneath that rested a framed square of blank parchment. Vael had heard of desks like these before... A password must be written on the blank parchment in order to unlock the desk. "What _is _it with people in Arx and weird security?" She shook her head slowly. "What was the word he said again?" _'Giyora.' _"Right, thank you."

Vael scribbled the password on the paper with a nearby quill, writing 'Giyora' in neat, elegant script. The ink was absorbed into the parchment until it vanished. Somewhere within the desk, a mechanism unlocked with a soft 'click'. Vael reached inside the now-open drawer, revealing a small, rolled-up piece of parchment - she'd heard of it before, but before a week ago she never would have imagined she'd actually see it. The Scroll of Atonement. Vael smiled as she slowly unrolled it and looked up at it through the afternoon light that streamed through a nearby window. "Written on moth-wing parchment with snake venom..." She grinned just a little bit and shook her head. "Supposedly with this, my 'sins can be absolved in the eyes of the Divine'... But given what we know..." _'He has sinned so deeply, can even offer absolution any longer.' _"Exactly."

Vael ventured back downstairs to have a word with Sanders about his idea of what a 'toy' was.

As she drew closer, he looked toward her curiously. "I believe I've told you all that you required - was there something else?"

"Sanders... a dark entity called the God King possessed your puppets and used them to attack me. I had to destroy them." She told him as plainly as he could.

"_What!? _There must be some mistake - they're just toys now! They wouldn't hurt a fly... unless I wanted them to. I'll look into the matter; a misunderstanding, I'm sure." He stared incredulously at her.

"Just toys _now._ So they weren't before?" When he didn't answer, drifting off toward his puppets again, Vael groaned and rolled her eyes. "Nevermind... I guess I'm going to be facing murderous puppets at some point..."

_'You already did.'_

"Yes, but- I mean..." Vael sighed as she made her way out of Sanders' shop. "Nevermind... We need to find Arhu."

_'You keep saying 'we'.' _Vael frowned, looking to the ground. "Well, it is 'we'... isn't it? You're not about to tell me this is the part where you spring free and possess me anyway now that I'm weakened, right?" _'That is not what I meant. I have watched. Sometimes spoke. I have 'done' very little.' _Vael pursed her lips as she continued walking along. "Well... sure, but... I'm glad you were here. It..." She chewed her bottom lip as she walked up toward the Cathedral. "I'm not sure I could have done this if I was _really_ alone... Having someone along... it helps. A lot, actually."

Vael felt a soft kind of warmth radiating up from within herself. _'Even someone who was going to kill you?'_

"Well you didn't, did you?" She ignored the odd looks she got from passers-by as she chattered away to herself as she neared Arhu's chambers. "That's all that matters. You've been a good... It would be weird to call you a 'friend', but... You've been good to me since."

_'I would say we are friends.'_

Vael smirked, looking up to Arhu's chambers - maybe he'd actually be here this time. "Friends it is, then."


	69. The Path of Blood

As Vael heard a quiet 'come in!' from within the room, she slowly pushed the door open. Arhu looked like he was still in the middle of cleaning everything up - she was surprised he was able to stand after everything he'd been through, to be honest. As he realized she was there, he bowed politely at the waist - a gesture Vael returned. "Godwoken, you return."

"I do, yeah. You said to come back to you, something about what I'd find in the Path of Blood?" Vael held up the amulet toward him, the scroll safely in her bag for now.

"You have them?" He put his hand to his chin. "Many obstacles lie between the Path of Blood and the resting place of the Divine. I can only help with one. The Death Room."

Vael stared at him incredulously. "The _Death Room_. Who names this stuff?" When Arhu stared at her, her face fell. "You did. You named this stuff. Excellent. Okay. What's in the Death Room?"

"It is a room of many levers. Five will lead you closer to your goal - the rest will lead you to your death." He spoke it with such gravity, but Vael was still amazed at what he named it.

"Okay... Which five? Aptly named room, by the way."

"Each lever is named for a virtue of the Divine. Find the levers whose initials spell the word 'power'. Select these five, and these alone."

"Power." Vael pursed her lips. "Sounds like someone I know." There was an uncomfortable squirming inside of herself. "Let me guess, Lucian picked the five?"

When Arhu nodded, Vael continued. "Okay... How do I use these things? Sanders was... Well, Sanders. I want to make sure he said it right."

"Put the amulet on and charge it up by consuming Source. Bring the amulet to the scroll to the Path of Blood. By the statue of Lucian, there is a hidden mechanism. Set the fully charged amulet in the hidden receptacle, then read from the scroll."

Vael breathed a quiet sigh. "Okay... And the statue?"

"Don't talk to it."

"Okay. No talking to the statue." Vael took a deep, strong breath, then slowly let it out. "Listen, Arhu... if I don't see you again... I'm sorry about hurting you in Kemm's room."

He waved a hand dismissively and headed off to continue cleaning.

Vael breathed a long, unsteady sigh. "I am so not excited about this..."

As Vael moved to the Cathedral itself and finally stepped inside, she looked around. A massive pool in the center of the room continually refreshed what - judging by the smell - was actual, for-real blood. Vael swallowed hard as she walked inside, the amulet clutched tight between her fingers. There were trails of blood leading from the pool itself to the pathway ahead of her. A young woman stood on the path, just before two large double doors that sealed off the rest of the Cathedral from a massive room. Just beyond it, Vael could see a gigantic statue of Lucian staring ahead of itself.

Pilgrims gathered across the floor, packed the pool, standing in the blood. Every now and then one of them would bow in the pool, pledging something. A heart, a soul... a life." Vael swallowed again, looking ahead of her. A Priest stood near the entrance of the path, watching Vael, he gestured for her to come closer with a hand and a knowing smile. "Greetings! Have you come to join us in the Endless Prayer...?" The way he asked it told Vael he knew what the answer was. "... or do you wish to walk the Path of Blood?"

Vael's nervous glance toward the Path told him what he needed to know.

"Lucian's Day wouldn't be the same without the faithful gathering to petition for his return - the more voices that join our cry, the better." He gestured empathetically toward the pools, seemingly trying to get Vael to rethink walking the Path.

"What's this Endless Prayer? I've heard of it, but obviously I'm not from around here..."

"The signs suggest that if we pray hard enough, Lucian will return to save us. Every year, we gather to offer prayers in his name. We stand united, hoping that he will favor us once more." He bowed his head, hands pressed together in front of him.

"And the Path of Blood...?" Vael asked nervously.

"Ah... the Path of Blood is a, eh, _more advanced_ form of pilgrimage. I would not advise it unless you believe yourself to be free from sin. And trust me, none are free from sin." He slowly shook his head. "The Path of Blood ends in death for those who attempt it - consider yourself warned."

Vael looked toward it again - the darkened room, the pools of blood within it... she imagined she could even see bodies. If no one who entered could return... she had a feeling that they just... _left_ them there. "Who created this?" She wondered if he actually knew...

"It was Lord Arhu's creation. He is the crypt's keeper, of course, and oversaw the construction himself. He couldn't have done it without the help of Sanders, though. Quite a talent for engineering, that one." He looked back out toward the city. "Spends most of his time tinkering with toys, nowadays. Such a pity - but that's the price you pay for genius, I suppose."

_'You are stalling.'_ Vael hissed a quiet 'I know', which drew a confused look from the Priest.

She sighed and shook her head. "Nothing." She reached out with a nervous smile and clapped her hand to his shoulder. "You've been... nice to me. Thank you."

He continued watching her, confused, as she moved to the Path of Blood and began to walk down it. He held out a hand toward her, then slowly dropped it to his side, shaking his head.

As Vael approached the bridge, the woman standing on it looked toward her. "Hey! Me first!"

Vael reached out, to try to stop her, but she was already gone, running ahead - the whole Cathedral grew silent, everyone watching as the massive doors slammed closed. "Divine Lucian! Take my blood! Tell me I am pure!" She ran before the statue and kneeled, raising her arms into the sky... The statue rumbled something Vael couldn't hear, the woman started to stand - and then, she just... died. A bolt from the statue struck her and her whole body locked up, standing straight for a short moment before she fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut, falling to the ground, stone dead.

Vael's mouth fell open as she stared at the statue, she felt herself take a step back - then she gripped the banister. The Cathedral around them erupted into further prayer after the woman died, the spell broken. Vael grit her teeth, all she had to do was walk forward - it wasn't hard, just one foot in front of the other. She continued to hesitate, rocking herself back and forth on her foot. She took one step toward the doors - she'd just _seen someone die in there_. She was suddenly keenly aware of her own mortality, the fact that she was, in fact, still mortal... That she could, in fact, die.

She forced herself to take another step toward the door.

Around her, the prayers within the Cathedral began to taper off, one by one. She could feel eyes on the back of her neck, dozens of pairs of eyes watching her.

Vael took another step. Her hands shook, her knees felt weak. If this didn't work, if Arhu or Sanders had gotten something wrong... it was over. Right here. Right now. The end.

Vael swallowed, closed her eyes, and stepped through the door. The entire Cathedral fell silent, an expectant, pregnant silence. All waiting. All watching. She continued walking as the massive doors slowly creaked shut and then slammed closed - Vael jumped almost half a foot in the air at the noise - in here it felt so much louder... They'd closed with a finality they hadn't seemed to close with when the other woman, the pilgrim entered... Vael wondered if she was just imagining things now that it was _her_ life on the line.

As she opened her eyes and walked forward. Suddenly, she could see them. Spirits. Dozens of them, all standing, all staring at the statue in various guises of disbelief. All failed pilgrims. Many of them stood near corpses. Some near skeletons, others, rotting bodies. Some, like the pilgrim, looked fresh... others seemed to have been here for years. Despite all that, somehow... it didn't stink. Only the scent of blood filled Vael's nostrils.

She shook so bad she felt like she was going to drop the amulet as she walked forward - she couldn't remember the last time she'd ever been this terrified. Even the Voidwoken cave hadn't been this bad, the walk to the Wellspring hadn't been so bad. There was an air of _finality_ that hung over the whole of this room, so thick she felt like she could cut it with a knife. 'Don't talk to the statue, don't talk to the statue, don'ttalktothestatue.' She muttered to herself over and over as she turned the corner - there it was, on the pillar. Cleverly disguised, a piece of stone sticking out just a _fraction_ further than the rest.

As Vael walked out of sight, she realized the Cathedral was still silent, still watching. She pressed gently on the hidden panel, it clicked open, revealing a lone button. There was a slot in the center of the button - just large enough for Sanders' amulet to fit. Vael carefully slid the amulet into the slot - the mechanisms around it began to grow slowly with Source. Vael, with trembling hands and shaking fingers, carefully pulled the Scroll out of her pack. She turned herself toward the statue, though steadfastly continued not to look at it, and began to read. The words on the scroll flew out of her mind as soon as she read them - she couldn't remember them - she hadn't even noticed the words on it before, _did_ it have words on it...? As she read, she began to feel a _presence_ in the room... Behind her, the button slowly sank into the wall, as if pushed by an invisible hand.

The Source faded from the amulet, consumed by the inner mechanisms of the button. Gears turned behind the ancient walls, almost like they were acknowledging the words Vael'd spoken, even though she herself couldn't remember them. A nearby hatch in the floor unsealed itself. The statue rumbled deeply, deep enough to shake the floor beneath her feet, then spoke, it's voice stony, it ground and crackled with magic: "THOU ART TRUE. THOU ART PURE. THOU HAST PASSED THE PATH OF BLOOD. HAIL TO THY GRACE UPON THY RETURN... _MY MAKER."_

Vael slowly looked up to it, the statue going silent once again. She glanced around herself, then to the bodies all around... She raised her arm and gently pinched herself - that hurt. "I'm... still alive?"

Vael heard a quiet murmuring from within the Cathedral - after the silence, the anticipation, the fear, it was so loud it almost hurt her ears. The doors ground slowly open and Vael looked through to see people. People staring at her as she walked back in front of the statue, hands to mouths... she wondered if this was what divinity would be like - a lie. They didn't know what she'd done, only that she'd passed. One woman even fell to her knees and began to pray.

Her face burning slightly with what she felt was a mixture of shame and embarrassment, Vael hurried around the path, past the open door - more people were gathering, staring at her, open-mouthed, a mixture of awe and fear... The Priest she'd spoken to chief among them, watching Vael with disbelief. She really hoped that this wouldn't be her legacy - the woman who'd passed the Path of Blood through subterfuge... and then never returned from below.

She gently gripped the hatch and tugged up, then slipped beneath it as it slammed shut behind her. She could still feel them, the stares she hadn't earned, boring into her back as she descended.


	70. Puzzles and Levers

As Vael looked around herself, her fears were slowly forgotten, replaced by her natural curiosity. She was the first person who'd been down here, most likely, since the statue had been emplaced and the tomb sealed... She certainly didn't see any other footprints in the dust that covered the floor. For some reason, she had been expecting it to be cleaner, but she supposed the ever-burning flames placed in the braziers did produce a bit of smoke, and the normal accumulation of dust over time, if no one could reach the tomb to clean it, _would_ make sense.

A massive, beautiful mural covered the floor - Vael didn't know who was supposed to be for since the Tomb had never intended to have been entered. Maybe just something the workmen could say they'd done in service to Lucian, she wasn't sure. Decorated in rich colors, vibrant blues, and yellows, and whites, it looked to be a mural of some sort of battle, maybe a scene from Lucian's life - she wasn't enough of a scholar of his history to tell which.

A statue dominated the center of the room over the mural, bronze and glimmering - save for a patina and a thin layer of dust, it looked just like it'd been left when the Tomb was sealed. Vael looked to her right and left, more statues of figures praying with divine wings. Then, ahead of her, there it was- but, no that couldn't be it. Vael walked closer to the massive tomb that rested atop a staircase, flanked by statues of lions. Another gorgeous mural decorated the floor beneath it, it was even flanked by seating benches - though she didn't know who the benches were for, either. It was all so... interesting. Maybe the tomb had been intended to be left open, eventually, but then something had changed. Vael didn't know.

It had to be empty, though, didn't it? She could sense no power coming from it, no Source... nothing at all, in fact. Vael walked up closer to the tomb and checked the lid - heavy, but doable. But Vael knew this couldn't be where his body had been left. Where was the 'Death Room', where were the other traps that Arhu had mentioned? She realized that this tomb must be some kind of a decoy... unless Dallis had somehow managed to beat her here.

Vael pushed her hands up underneath the edge of the tomb and _shoved. _At first, she thought maybe she'd overestimated her remaining strength, the lid didn't want to move... but then it broke free, and slowly, excruciatingly slowly, it slid to the side. She only cracked it just enough that she could peek inside, and sure enough, there was nothing there. There was hardly even any dust inside of it. Vael noticed staircases to either side and walked onward, maybe there would be a path up ahead that would lead to the actual tomb.

As Vael rounded the corner, she found skeletons. More skeletons. These seemed... very old indeed, and it seemed that people _had_ made it past the Path of Blood before. Maybe people truly free of sin did exist, after all. But it seemed that they'd failed at this final hurdle. Vael walked up to the altar before her, shimmering and blessed. To her left, blessed water, to her right, blessed fire. There was another grate, though Vael couldn't tell what for just yet. She reached out for the altar in front of her, gently laying her hand upon it. She felt a _shift _around herself and suddenly her vision was high above, looking down on the massive room in front of her.

She realized quickly that it was a kind of puzzle, pipework lay across the room before her, separated by blocks. Curious, Vael tried to reach out for one of the blocks to move it - her hands didn't move, but the block slowly shifted all the same. She looked to the top of the room, the furthest point from where she actually was and realized one of the grates at the bottom was empty, though the one at the top was not. "The Path of Blood...", Vael murmured to herself. She could only realize what the empty grate needed to be filled with - but she could do that afterward.

The solution for what lay before her actually seemed fairly simple, all she had to do was trace backward from the destination and make sure that all paths didn't conflict with one another, and she would be home free. Moving the blocks took a little bit of getting used to, but before long Vael felt that she had solved the correct pathways. Now all she had to do was create blessed blood and get the thing to... move, or do something, somehow... She wondered if that's what the other skeletons down here were. People who'd been free of sin, but unable to perform blessings... This whole thing seemed like a 'trap' to her. To get here as a Godwoken she'd failed some of the steps, would have failed should she have been asked the questions by the statue... but even if someone who _was _pure had gotten here who _wasn't _a Godwoken... they'd have been doomed.

Without the ability to Bless blood... they would have died, just like these poor fools whose skeletons lay upon the ground. Vael slowly pulled back from the view she'd had of the room above, and found herself standing back on her own two feet. She was disoriented for a moment, but eventually caught her balance again and looked back to the grate that lay empty. "I sure hope this doesn't need a lot of blood..." Vael pulled the knife that Lohar had given her from her belt and looked down at her hand. She closed her eyes and set the knife against the palm, then carefully sliced across it with a hiss of pain. She squeezed her hand several times, getting as much blood as she dared across the grate, hearing it slowly and quickly dripping down to the room behind her.

She closed her eyes and carefully willed herself to heal - she knew she was going to regret using some of that Source, but she also didn't want a bleeding hand for whatever was to come. She still felt tired and worn out... she hoped she'd be able to make it to the end. Vael murmured the Blessing under her breath and directed it at the blood, it slowly began to shimmer and glow. She looked down at the room behind her, checking to see if the blood had flowed down... thankfully, it had. She looked to the altar again and pressed her hand upon it, willing it to do ... whatever it was that it was meant to do in order to allow her to go on.

The altar seemed to respond. Beyond it, something creaked, as if the pipework was... moving... The sound came from beyond the altar as the fluids slowly flowed across the ground - Vael hadn't remembered bleeding _that_ much but then again the fire was eternally burning as well, so she thought there must be some kind of magic involved. She held her breath as the three things flowed across the room to the far end, then one by one met their counterparts on the far side. Soft lights rose up from the three basins on the far side, then from behind Vael she heard something... _move._

A deep, grinding rumble filled the tomb, gently shaking the floor under her feet. She hurried back to see what it was and realized the entire empty tomb had slowly shifted forward, revealing a hatch hidden beneath it, covered by dust. "Well... here goes nothing." She gave a soft tug on the hatch, but this one wasn't locked - she mused with an amused smirk that, if someone had just installed a lock, she'd probably have been stuck right here. However, it opened freely, so she slid down within.

She found herself on a long pathway over lakes of magma... She honestly didn't know where they'd even found Magma beneath Arx. Were they that deep underground already? Or had they somehow brought it this far? Maybe it was just more magic at work to create the appropriate atmosphere. Vael traveled across the bridge, finding herself at another, far larger, talking door. She raised a brow curiously as she stared at it, maybe this was guarding the 'Death Room' that Arhu had spoken of.

As Vael approached, the door began to speak. "Venture no farther. Only death lies beyond."

She blew out a quiet breath. Well, that settled that.

The door continued, "Blood need not be spilled. Bones need not be broken. Preserve thyself, and flee."

She imagined this was another test. If she fled would she be vaporized? Would the statue let her out again? She shook her head, there was no going back now. "I want to continue."

"To cross this threshold is to plunge into thy grave. Do not decide in haste."

Vael stared at the door. "Let me through." She didn't threaten to smash it... to be honest, she wasn't sure she had the strength anymore.

"Very well. Embrace thy fate." The door swung aside.

As Vael stepped through the doorway, it slammed shut behind her with a finality just like the ones above that had sealed her inside with the statue. She glanced back behind herself, then ahead at the room before her. Across nearly every surface of the room were levers, festooned across the floor, the walls, every pillar. Vael let out a soft groan. "Oh, shit."

As soon as she spoke, more of Sanders' puppets appeared before her - but unlike the others, these actually _were_ armed. "Oh bloody hells, _I hate puppets!_" Vael rushed past them, searching for any lever that might have a word that started with 'P'. She'd just have to pray that there was only one word of each of the letters she was supposed to find... If there were two levers that started with a P and she just happened to pull one by accident, that could be the journey over right there. As she rushed around the room, searching for the right lever - they were helpfully labeled, but at least this time it finally made sense for them to be - she stumbled across it. "Potency!" She yanked on the lever.

There was a lurch and a shudder from the room around her. "Okay, that one did something, and I'm not dead..." She began looking for the one labeled with 'O', she thought she'd seen it before - there, she had! "Order!" As Vael yanked the lever, she heard one of the puppets chattering. "Moving to corporeal whatnow?" Vael let out a screech as she was lifted into the air and slammed back onto the floor on the other side of the room. She heard another puppet say something about 'cranial disruptor', Vael barely had the time to get out of the way as a ball of fire slammed into the ground. The whole room seemed to be on fire at this point, that had dropped fire everywhere across it. "Oh,... well, me! At this point!" She'd thought to say 'Oh, Gods', but by now only Zorl-Stissa was left!

Vael rushed across the room, trying to find the next lever, dodging fire, exploding _barrels _that appeared out of nowhere, and at one point she actually thought she saw a cloud of Deathfog. "Instant death is not playing fair!" If she ever saw Sanders again, she'd _strangle _him. And his stupid puppets.

She was forced to dodge a barrage of wand-fire from one of the puppets, ducking across the ground - luckily too, because another had sent a wave of fireballs flying through the air, and with her already on the ground, she didn't have to do anything to dodge them. Vael looked up, then realized she'd planted herself on the ground right next to the lever for Wisdom. She gave it a hard yank as she used it to help herself get up, then remembered where she'd seen Empathy... a trait that she thought Lucian sorely lacked! "At least these aren't traits he had, otherwise the last one is going to be 'Ruthlessness'."

Vael heard another puppet chatter- "What's a Bovine sym-" And then she was a cow. She was a cow. She was standing here, in the dark, on fire, and she was a cow. She happened to look over and noticed that she was standing right next to the lever for 'Righteousness'. She lifted her head up, then brought her chin down onto the lever. It sank down with a 'clank' and a grinding of gears, then all at once, the room went silent. There was a faint magical tinkle from somewhere just out of sight, and Vael fell onto the ground, onto her hands and knees - not hooves.

She looked up to see puppets self-destructing, exploding into bundles of bewitched wood and gears and springs. "Nevermind... If I ever see Sanders again, I'm going to _**kill him.**_"


	71. Braccus Rex

Vaeltorya slowly pushed herself back onto her own two legs again, looking around herself. Most of the fire had gone out, leaving clouds of smoke, all the puppets had exploded, and all the room had gone quiet. As she wandered the room now that all was silent, she peered at some of the other levers. 'Gravitas' next to 'Discipline' next to 'Yarak'. She had no idea what in the hells 'Yarak' was supposed to mean. Some of the others seemed to be genuinely good traits for a divine to have... but of course 'power' was all that mattered to Lucian. "He really took after you, didn't he?"

_'I said he was one of our gravest mistakes.'_

Vael sighed as she looked ahead, there was no door this time, just a stairwell down into the next room below. She imagined she might _actually _find herself in hell if this kept up, this room was surrounded by more lava than the last one had been. "Well, at least he's gone. And... maybe, if Dallis and the others aren't here yet... I can try to right some of those wrongs. You haven't done a bad job yourself, you know."

_'A few days does not a new leaf turned over make.'_

"I'm not sure that phrase works that way," Vael muttered with a little smirk.

_'Aphorisms have never been my strong suit.'_

Vael giggled quietly to herself. "No, they really haven't."

As Vael ventured to the final staircase down, she peered over the edge. This... this was different. She could _feel_ power radiating up from here. There was a strength rising from within, enough to make her fingers tingle. "You know... this is it. I think this is the end. The... the real end. He's down here, isn't he? His body?"

_'Your guess is better than mine, but it would seem that way.'_

She breathed a long, slow breath out, then took another one in, bouncing lightly on her toes as she shook out her arms. She looked back the way she'd come one last time, then began to climb down the stairs. "Well, here we go then." The truth hung heavy on the air itself, unspoken. She could feel it in the air, like the power that wafted up to meet her from below. This was it, the point of no return. She knew, deep down, that beyond this point she would be undone... or she would ascend. There would be no middle ground. But she was ready. She'd step into her destiny. She'd put one foot in front of the other, come what may.

As Vael ventured down into the dark room, something... changed. The air here was rife with power, with strength, but it was also so... still. There was something behind it, like a thunderclap waiting to fall. The darkness hid something ahead of her, something... dark. She didn't know what it was, but it put her on edge.

She finally stepped off the last step of the stairs, laying a foot upon the floor of the room itself. It almost seemed to rise up to meet her, the strength hidden within the dark, like a wave, pulsing, like the beat of a heart. She could feel it wash over her, so strong she could almost taste it. If it was even a tiny fraction stronger she felt like she could... _feed_ upon it. Bring back some of the strength she'd lost to feed the amulet. It was _just_ out of reach. Just that tiny little fraction too weak.

Vael could see something ahead of her, something in the dark, a sickly green glow like a pulsing of... Source. Like Source come to life. She took another step forward and there was a blast from behind her, strong enough to make her stumble, nearly knocking herself off her feet. She drew her blade in an instant, turning to find the edge pressed against... Malady. She carefully pulled her blade back, staring at the elf in confusion. "What the _hell_, Malady? I thought you were Dallis! I almost killed you."

Malady gave her trademark grin. "Do you come here often? I don't know what you did, but you just released a Source flood. I thought I'd come and see what all the fuss was about. Should've known you were getting yourself into trouble."

Vael nodded once as she rested her blade onto her shoulder. "I know what you mean. Something's... here. I think I finally made it."

"Looks like the big moment has finally arrived." She nodded in agreement. "I will do everything I can to support you Godwoken. I will _pray_ for you. I think you'll need it."

Vael tilted her head curiously. "While I'm grateful... Will prayer actually... help?"

"Don't underestimate the power of true prayer! This is a place of incredible power, where a single prayer holds the weight of thousands." Malady leaned back, looking Vael over one more time. "Your heart and soul will fill as quickly as they're drained. Consider it a taste of your Divine future. The people will pray for you. In turn, they'll trust you to do right by them -" She reached behind her and presented Vael with the cloth-wrapped blade, Anathema. "- As I'm trusting you to do now."

Vael took the blade into her hands. In this place, down here, it _hummed_ with energy. It felt like it would vibrate right out of her hands if she let it, it was eager. Vael gently placed it into the sheath for her other blade, storing it for now - she'd be able to draw it when the time was right.

Malady watched, then looked back to Vael with a far-wider grin than before. "Of course, it's up to you whether or not to listen. I know how _I'd _respond but..." She looked down at her nails. "You do you." She wearily chuckled to herself, then bowed her head in a show of unexpected but sincere reverence. "Looks like my investment's paid off after all."

Vael reached forward, tightly grasping Malady's hand in her own, wrist-to-wrist. "That it has. Thank you, Malady. I wouldn't have been able to get here without you."

Tarquin stood in the dark until the two were done, then stepped forward - Vael hadn't even noticed he was there, his clothes blending in with the dark. "You've shown me kindness in the face of my sins. My worship is the least I can offer."

Vael leaned her head to the side with a little smile. "Tarquin! I'm touched."

Malady looked toward Vael and nodded once. "Your little friend is back on the ship, safe and sound." She motioned with her hands to 'shoo' Vael onward. "Now go. Rivellon needs a new Divine."

As the two bowed their heads and began to pray, Vael could feel it. The strength welling up inside of her, the strength she'd been missing since the amulet... Not quite to that degree, not as strong, but... She raised her arms, breathing in, taking in what they were giving her. Malady hadn't been kidding about how strong it would be - she felt almost like she could do _anything_. And it felt... good. Really, really good. It wasn't like being gifted the strength, this was different, it was almost more... pure, if that could be applied to this situation.

She bounced lightly on the balls of her feet, then headed off down the stairs. Whatever came... she'd be ready for it.

As Vael headed down the stairs, she frowned - before her was not the body of Lucian, was not a lake of Source... instead, the Aeteran, resting behind an empty throne. It was the pulsing, beating heart she'd felt... the beating heart of a _machine. _It was pumping the Source out of the Aeteran, out across the ground into two great reservoirs ... Why had this been built in the Tomb of Lucian? Was Lucian's body _ever_ here?

Out of the dark stalked Dallis, flanked by White-Cloaked Magisters, as well as one of her pet Geists. She had an almost-respectful smile on her face. _Almost_. "I underestimated you, Godwoken. You have proven to be a formidable foe. You have my... begrudging respect."

Vael snarled. Here, of all places, Dallis. "You _bitch,_ I'll-"

Another figure walked out of the dark, clapping his hands. Vredeman - _Braccus_, a smile on his hooded face. "What a _twist."_

Dallis glared across to him, then continued to speak. "I suppose I should tell you the truth, Godwoken. It is time that I should drop the mask."

Vael tilted her head, her hand stilled - truth? What truth?

Dallis reached to the sides of her head, placing her hands just over her ears. Where there was one face, suddenly there were four. Then... she pulled off a Mask of the Shapeshifter... A skull was revealed - bejeweled, and ancient as the Void. "I am Eternal."

Vael's growls rose anew. "You utter bastard, you're working for _him_, aren't you."

Dallis went to speak - but was interrupted by Vredeman, again. "Isn't she just _full_ of surprises?"

"No! Not for him. For _me." _Dallis pointed her thumb at her own chest. "I am on the side of all that is good. I am trying to rid Rivellon of the influence of the Source!"

"You'd turn us all into Silent Monks! You're a monster! Don't you realize, haven't you seen? Souls are Source. Source is _souls. _You can't purge it from us! You'd... you'd destroy us." Vael couldn't believe she still thought this was what she needed to do. "You would _kill. us. all._ The only part of us that mattered."

Dallis shut her down with a wave of her hand. "Silence! You need to hear this."

Vael rocked back on her back foot - she needed a way to deal with this, with them. Dallis, Vredeman... she was alone down here against long odds. Maybe if she kept her talking... "Fine. Go on then."

"Long ago, the scholar Fane discovered that the veil between the world and the Void was made of Source. Our Seven lords desired this power."

Vredeman grinned, eyes glinting beneath his hood. "Of course."

Dallis spat toward him. "Silence, slave!" She looked back to Vael, jeweled skull glinting. "Our King forbade the Seven to reach for this power. But they didn't listen. Instead, they rebelled and sent the King - and his people - into the Void."

Vael muttered a quiet little 'I know, already' under her breath, slowly shifting herself closer to where Vredeman - Braccus - stood. If she could get close enough, draw Anathema in one movement, she could cut him down before he knew what was happening...

Dallis continued. "With the Source they stole from the Veil, the Seven created the races so they would have worshippers. During their lives, worshippers collect Source. When they die, the Gods feed from them. It's an ingenious system."

Vael barked a laugh. "You sound almost jealous you didn't think of it first, there, Dallis. Is that what this is? Jealousy?"

Dallis growled in return, grinding her teeth against one another. "Our souls are nothing but vats for the Source-hungry Gods. The Seven made a mistake. By taking its Source, they tore a hole in the Veil. And it is through this hole that the Void finds its way into our world. The Seven's lust for power let in the Void. We have to close the hole _they _created. To restore the Source to the Veil."

"And kill all of us in the bargain. That's no better than letting the God King take over, bringing your people back." Vael shook her head. "I know you're not one of us, Dallis, but I can't believe that you don't understand what doing this _means_. It would be the end of us all as thinking, feeling beings. We'd just be another one of your pets." Vael gestured with her free hand to the geist.

"My people cannot be _allowed _to return from the Void. They are tarnished. They are Voidwoken. They can only bring chaos and death. And..."

"So you would rule over an empty world? Is that it? What is your true goal, then? I don't understand, Dallis. You've missed something fundamental."

Dallis hesitates as she looks to Vael. "_You _don't understand. That isn't what would happen, Sourcerers, yes-"

"So thousands instead of millions. _If _you're correct. Which given what I've seen and learned I really don't think is the case!" She set her jaw. "You're still a monster, Dallis."

Dallis _exploded_. "I was only a child when the God King tore my family apart! I was purged of Source and left to _rot_ in a putrid tomb! _A child!_"

"We are not Eternals, Dallis! We cannot survive being purged as your people can."

But Dallis wasn't listening. "It was hell! A hell I suffered for the sins of my _father_. _He _was the one that betrayed the God King. _He _was the one that told the Seven the secrets of the Veil. The cruel joke of it all is the same tomb that housed my tortured body is what sheltered me from the Void. Few Eternals escaped that fate. Myself... my mother... and... my father. The scholar Fane." She glared at Vael. "But now, I finally have revenge. Revenge on the Seven and the God King. Revenge for what they took from me. My Life. My people. _My mother._" The Hammer's voice faltered. Every crack and rasp betrayed her grief - but her next words burned hot with anger. "**He never even ****_looked _****for me. He never looked for ****_her_****."**

Vael turned her head. "Whatever happened to you doesn't mean that you can purge all of us, Dallis. Your plan won't work. _Can't _work. We are not your people, Dallis. You need to see past your grief and understand that."

"My reasons aren't yours to question." Dallis snapped back. "My plan _will_ work. It _must_ work. For the good of all. Don't you see? It will bring _peace. _No more Gods feeding on your souls for eternity."

Vredeman leaned forward with exaggerated motions, his tongue sticking out of his mouth. "Slurp. Slurp. Slurp."

She snapped at him. "One more word from you, and I shall use the leash."

Vael snarled. "Your _leash_. The least you installed on Braccus Rex!" When Dallis expressed surprise, Vael continued. "Oh yes, I know. I know who he is. I know your slave's real name."

His head snapped to her. "Maggot, I am no slave-"

With a flick of her wrist, Dallis sent a jolt through Braccus' body. He writhed in pain, nearly falling to the floor.

"Don't worry - he's well under control." Dallis seemed to cool, in control once again. "He's made a fine servant - isn't that right, ingrate? I used him to find the Aeterna. When we're done, I'll release him from his duty and free him from his pain. Until then..."

Vael held out a hand toward her. "Dallis, you don't know who you're messing with. You don't understand who he _really_ is. I've studied him. You _do not _have him under your thumb no matter what you think-"

Dallis interrupted her with another wrist-flip. Braccus shuddered, but his lips remained curled in a self-satisfied grimace.

Vael shook her head. "You're deluded, Dallis. I can't hear another word of this." With Braccus distracted, she could-

"No matter. The plan is almost complete." She turned her full attention to Vael. "One last sacrifice is required for the future of Rivellon. You must surrender your Source."

Vael stopped, looking to Dallis. She almost laughed. "What? You want me to _surrender? _Are you out of your mind? Well, I think we well-established that already-"

"Decide! Be the true hero and give up your Source... or be forced to submit, like a coward." She drew her hammer, staring Vael down. "_Like a slave_."

"Like hell."

"Show some responsibility! Surrender your Source!", Dallis barked orders like one used to being followed.

"If you want my Source, my _soul_, then you'll have to come and get it." Vael hefted her blade before herself, staring down Dallis, the other Magisters, even Braccus... it wasn't safe to try to use Anathema on him yet... he'd retreated behind one of the other Magisters. Vael flicked her eyes to Dallis. "_You'll die trying._"

"I'm sorry. You've come _such_ a long way. But there is too much at stake. This is... _the end_." Dallis raised her hammer, calling the others around her into action.

Vael roared, calling upon all the Source she had. It filled her in an instant, filling her up, burning hot. As Braccus raised his staff, calling down flames upon her, Vael's fires met his own. They collided in midair in a shower of roaring flames, blasting the ground around her blackened. She raised her sword and lunged to the side as Dallis' hammer slammed down into where she'd been standing moments before. She cut down a White Magister where they stood, forced to lump away as Dallis' geist plunged to the ground, trying to take her from the air.

Vael shifted, swaying under another strike - her only advantage was that there were too many of them to come after her alone. They had to pull their strikes, risk hitting each other - another White Magister with a bow jockeyed for position, trying to get off a good shot. Vael rushed toward Dallis, the Hammer swung her weapon in a wide arc, but Vael was ready for it. She jumped over the weapon's swing, her foot slamming into Dallis' face - drawing a scream of rage from her as she did - as Vael arced over them all. The crossbow fired, sailing just under her body as she twisted, landing with her weapon slamming down into the Magister who'd fired - two down.

She was forced to bound away, leaving a trail of flames behind her - they'd almost never burned so hot, so pure - charging the Geist next. Wild swings scored long scratches upon her armor as Vael barreled into it, knocking it back. They tumbled over the railing together, Vael spun in the air to slam down onto it weapon-point first.

Vael heard Dallis scream to Braccus. "What are you waiting for!? KILL HER."

Braccus answered with a cackle, more meteors rained down upon Vael from above. One slammed into her shoulder, blasting and scouring her armor, rivulets of molten metal running away as her flesh was seared. She screamed in pain but carried on - she didn't have a choice. They'd kill her if she didn't - she just had to hope her right arm wasn't useless.

Vael dove between them, forcing them to pull their attacks or hit one another. Dallis screamed for Braccus to finish it, finish her, but he couldn't get a good spell off without hitting _himself, _much less Dallis. He snarled and finally leaped into the air, teleporting away up to higher ground. Dallis looked at him and screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? GET BACK HER-" She was cut off with a gasp as Vael's blade slammed into her middle, wedging itself deep into the bone.

Braccus cackled long and loud. "Are you feeling poorly, Dallis? _Good_. You shall _not _seal the Veil. And now... it is time." Braccus threw off his cloak, dropped his staff. Into his hands appeared a massive mace and shield. "I call on the God King! **COME CLAIM WHAT IS YOURS.**"

Dallis staggered back, Vael pulled her weapon away from her, dragging bits of bone out across the ground with it. "How... what... - you are _unleashed!?"_

Braccus cackled in delight as this turn of events. His unbridled glee slithered into Vael's veins and throttled her heart. "You left the leashing wand next to me, you stupid maggot. So accustomed had you become to me pretending to be your slave."

Vael stared in disbelief at Dallis. "So not only are you deluded, you're an idiot!?"

"Do shut up, you tedious buffoon. And don't look so surprised. As if I would allow that bone-bag Dallis to enslave me. _ME?!"_

Dallis collapsed to one knee. "This is not the time for talk! Kill him now!"

"Too late, you moldering blight-stained pigs. Grant me power, my ally. **GOD KING-!**"

Vael drew free Anathema, throwing her soulforged blade to the side, it sung in the Source-stained air like a beast unleashed. The crystalline blade shone a vibrant blue in the dark air of Lucian's would-be crypt. "_**SHUT YOUR GODSDAMNED MOUTH AND DIE.**_"

"You dare interrupt Braccus Rex!? How... novel." He raged, spittle flying from his mouth. **"WHO ARE YOU TO CHALLENGE THE SOURCE KING!?"**

Vael lifted Anathema, letting him see the blade in full. "I am Godwoken, with a claim on Divinity! You're an upstart! A relic! A pebble on the path! I hold **ANATHEMA.**" She leveled the blade at him, straight and true, calling the flames around her to renew themselves, gathering at her feet like a wreath of pure, flaming rage. "I'm going to _put you back in your box._"

"You are the fetid dirt on my boot. You are nothing at all. **I am the Source King! I SHALL RULE!"**

Braccus called his powers to him, a massive explosion that rocked the ground around them, throwing Vael, Dallis back across the ground. Dallis screamed in pain as she sprawled, her legs almost useless from her wound. The ground, the _world _around them fell away, Lucian's tomb, their machine, shattering as Braccus summoned _the Void itself_ to their battlefield. He retreated away again, raising his mace and shield.

"The God King hears my call!"

Vael looked to Dallis in shock. "You've doomed us all!" She pushed herself to her feet. "Now I'll fix your mistake." Vael charged off after Braccus, wings of flame speeding her progress - and then she heard _actual _wings.

Dallis raised her arms, her form shifted, changing, she emerged as a dragon, massive, undead, skeletal with stitched-together wings. She roared as she soared through the air toward Braccus.

Braccus raised his weapon, cackling, and summoned lighting to himself. The bolt gathered around his mace, charging it, and he swung it at the shape-changed Dallis, laughing like the madman he was. His weapon discharged the energy, striking her in the air, knocking her from her path. She slammed into the ground, shattering the hexagonal pillars as she slid, sending debris flying. Vael charged up the falling stones, bouncing from one bit of solid ground to the next. She screamed her battle-cry, blue-hot flames coiling around the blade of Anathema as she charged the Source King.

His mace met her blade, sending chunks of the metal flying. He pulled back and stared at his weapon, a melted gash scoured into the side of it. "Where did you find that weapon!?"

"Tarquin says hello!" Vael, battered him again and again, forcing Braccus onto the defensive. She slammed his shield, rending great gouges into it, turned aside his weapon. Her flames forcing him back from the sheer heat of them.

"ENOUGH." Braccus raised his weapon into the air, calling lightning one more. "Insect!" He swung his mace, slamming it into the ground. Lightning erupted around him, a wave of flames following it. Vael was blown back, falling from the precipice down to a shattered section of the stone floor below. He raised his weapon again to strike when the dragon's maw closed around it and his hand.

Braccus screamed in rage and pain as Dallis lifted him bodily into the air as a dragon, her great, sinewy neck shaking him back and forth. Vael heard something crunch.

A loud screech of pain accompanied a massive thunderclap, so close and so loud that Vael's ears rung. She began to try to climb her way back up, if she could just _hit him_ while he was distracted... There was a resounding **_boom_** from above and Dallis' dragon form came falling down past Vael to land smitten on the ground below, a smoking, ruined corpse. A gush of flames followed her down as Vael finally reached the edge.

Braccus raged like a lunatic, cackling as his hand regrew and he summoned his weapon once more to hand. "Pitiful wretch! And now for you!"

Vael raised Anathema over her head and charged him, screaming at the top of her lungs. Her weapon slammed into his own, again and again, battering his sword and shield, but he was so fast-! She dropped down and spun, sweeping her leg out beneath her. Braccus shouted in alarm as he crashed onto his back. Vael swung, overhead, trying to finish him then and there. Braccus' shield slammed into Anathema, sending the singing crystalline blade skittering across the ground as he raised his ruined shield. Half of it was gone, and it had nearly taken his other hand with it. **"****GOD KING. HEED MY CALL." **His voice boomed over the expanse as he tossed away his shield.

A violent rumbling sent the whole world around Vael shaking and shuddering. The piece of rock that she was on broke away and fell, slamming into the ground below and sending Vael sprawling. As she pushed herself up, she heard Braccus Rex laughing triumphantly. "_He sends a companion worthy of my power._"

A great, guttural roar echoed in the expanse of the void as a massive creature rose from the swirling mists below. "Come to your father, my pretty thing. COME TO THE SOURCE KING."

Vael stared up at the creature in awe. The Kraken. The thing that had sunk the Merryweather. It had _eaten a ship. _Massive, undulating, a maw that could swallow her and the ground she stood on whole with room for more.

_"Fuck me."_


	72. The Righteous Man

Vael raised her blade over her head, calling on her Source once again, feeling the prayers of the others, _somehow_ reaching her in this place. She gathered as much Source as she could, as much strength, as much anger, as hot of flames as she could. The fire gathered around her like a suit of armor, slamming into place, burning white-hot and gleaming. "Come on then, you overgrown eel! Give me your best shot!"

It did.

Vael raised Anathema, realizing she'd only have one shot - the Kraken was too dangerous, she'd have to try to beat Braccus with her normal sword- she rushed toward the Kraken, screaming as loud as she could, channeling all the rage within her into _one last strike_. She didn't even get to swing. The Kraken lowered its head and with blinding speed for a creature so large, swiped across the ground, shattering stone, sending bits and pieces flying. Vael stopped in her tracks, staring at the wanton destruction before her.

The Kraken's head slammed into her like the fist of the Gods themselves. Vael screamed, her cry muffled by the crunching of bone, the screeching of armor, metal tearing and deforming. Vael could feel it punching through her scales through sheer force. Her back slammed into something _hard_ and she felt something inside of her give way. She tumbled to the ground, broken and bleeding, a rapidly spreading pool of blood staining the stones beneath her.

Was this it? The end...? She could hardly raise her head, her vision swam. She could hear the Kraken roar, Braccus' laugh echoing through the expanse. She tried to look, to see the end coming, but could barely push herself up a scant few inches from the ground. Her right arm was broken, she couldn't feel her legs. Blood dripped from her maw, teeth smashed and missing.

Then, she heard a great, booming voice, deep and sonorous. It rippled with authority and something else... _energy. _This is what she'd felt upon entering the Tomb. This great heartbeat. She'd thought it was the Aeteran, but it had been...

_"Godwoken. Dallis told me about you. You must be hard as diamonds and twice as bright, to have come so far. Your Divine welcomes you."_

Lucian descended from above the shattered machine that had been draining away the Source from the Aeteran. He really did have wings, Vael didn't believe it. His armor shone bright like the sun, his hair and beard as white as freshly-fallen snow. _He was alive._

"What? _What is this?_" Braccus stared in disbelief. _"You're dead! __**THE GOD KING TOD ME YOU WERE DEAD.**__" _Vael could hear the panic in his voice, even as her lifeblood ebbed away across the ground. Braccus screamed. Vael raised her head just enough to see Lucian, the Divine spark shining from him like a sun, raise his blade before himself. Braccus' spell slammed against him and was effortlessly turned aside, flames scorching the ground on either side of him as he advanced steadily. "What are you doing? **KILL HIM**." The Source King looked to his pet, the Kraken.

The Kraken roared and slammed down onto Lucian, engulfing him whole. So that was that... Just like that, Lucian had fallen just like she had...

Vael started to close her eyes, started to accept her end when she saw a light beginning to shine from the Kraken's maw. A beacon of light as bright as the sun itself began to burn its way out of the Kraken, _through_ the Kraken. The creature screeched in raw, unbridled agony as a beam of light burst from its head with a hum of energy, splattering the ground around itself with gore and blood. Lucian emerged from the hole on feathered wings, as clean as the moment he'd gone in. _"Now now, Braccus... It is time."_

Lucian ascended to Braccus' platform, the Source King screaming in rage and fear. He swung at Lucian again and again, his weapon deflected to the side by the power itself that emerged from the Divine. His weapon shattered on a final blow, leaving his hand smoking and burned. _"WHAT IS THIS!?"_

Lucian's blade lifted high into the air, a white-steel creation burnished with glowing blue-white runes. _"An end long deserved." _His blade smote Braccus Rex, the impact so strong that the Source King seemed to ... _shatter_ in the air, his armor blowing apart, cape fluttering to the ground below. One long, last scream echoed in the expanse of the Void, and the Source King was no more.

Vael barely managed a smile. Sure, he was a murderer, he would doom everyone to save his own power... But Vael recognized that the man had _style. _She felt her life slipping away from her, ebbing into the ground below. She slowly lowered her head to the stones, trying to keep herself awake, but the effort was so hard. She was so _tired._

_'My chosen... Vaeltorya. Do not go yet. It's not over... it can't be over.'_

"I'm sorry, my Goddess... I failed you. I wasn't... enough." Vael groaned quietly under her fading breath. It hurt. It hurt so bad. She could just... go to sleep. It'd all be over.

_"Not yet, Godwoken. You have a part to play still." _Lucian stood over her - this close, the light that shone from within him was almost blinding. He lowered his hand over her and closed his glowing-white eyes.

Vael could feel Source pouring into her. Raw, unbridled energy that ebbed and flowed with the beating of Lucian's Divine heart. Bones knit, wounds closed, feeling returned to her legs. Vael coughed as she pushed herself onto unsteady hands and knees. "But... why?"

_"Respect. That's why, Godwoken." _Lucian stood before her - this close, if it wasn't for the light, the white glow of his eyes... he almost looked human. And the wings, of course... _"You have a right to know why."_

Vael stood on unsteady feet as she watched him, confused. "But you were... dead. Everyone knew you were dead. The Gods knew you were dead."

_"Not dead. While Dallis sought the Aeteran, I started draining the Gods of their Source._"

_'Our mistake... we should have known.'_

_"I had to hide from the Gods. So I had the walls of this crypt equipped with Tenebrium and protections put in place. I faked my death. I worked. Everyone, even the Gods, thought me dead. As Divine, I was created - empowered - to stop the Void. I was the avatar of the Seven: their strength - and their weakness. My bond to them allowed me to drain them of their Source._" He stood before Vael, his blade's tip embedded in the stone. Even this close, his voice echoed strangely in the empty air.

"But... Lucian..." Vael squinted, trying to think - her mind still felt hazy after nearly _dying_. "You... you were working with Dallis? But... her plan won't work! It could never work! You'd... you'd turn us all into Silent Monks!"

_"Not her plan. My plan." _He clapped his hand to his chest. _"And not all of you. Only the Sourcerers. The rest would lose their souls, yes, their Source, but their lives would carry on as normal."_

"I can't..." Vael stumbled back. "I can't believe this. You'd... _how many would you sacrifice?_"

_"For peace? At last?" _Lucian thumped his blade into the ground. _"All of you. In an instant." _He slowly shook his head in something that very well could have been shame or embarrassment. _"Here is the truth. I have killed thousands, perhaps millions, for the greater good. But I made a mistake. It was my use of Deathfog that opened the door to the God King. It upset the Veil and took the Seven by surprise. My one mistake meant all those sacrifices were for naught. Those sacrifices must have meaning. They must stop the Void, once and for all."_

Vael stared at him, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You're... insane! You're deluded! You've killed so many! What price is too high for you, Lucian? You'd sacrifice us all!" She held her hands in front of herself. "Our lives mean nothing to you? You set this into motion yourself. Your... your mistake, your Deathfog... You would kill us all for a problem of your own creation!"

_"ENOUGH." _Lucian's voice, the first time Vael'd heard him raise it, echoed in the silent expanse, vibrating off of the walls around them. He raised a hand to his head, smoothing back his snow-white hair. _"You do not understand. The Seven's lust for power let in the Void. My goal, Dallis' goal, poor girl, was to close the hole they created. To restore the Source to the Veil. When we are done, there shall be no more Source in the world. Rivellon will finally be free from the gods that enslaved them!"_

"Lucian..." Vael stared in disbelief. "They **already are.** The Gods are dead. I killed them myself! They're _gone. _Your quest is for nothing!"

_"No. Not gone. You still have one." _He pointed to Vael's chest, the presence within herself quivering. _"Until they, and your Source, are truly gone, Rivellon cannot be safe. We cannot have peace."_

"She is not who you think she is, Lucian." Vael's hand closed protectively over her chest, splayed over her ruined armor. "She's done nothing but help me. She helped me kill the others. She _gave up her strength_ so that I could succeed. You can no more separate us than you could yourself from your own head. We're one, Lucian."

_"And that is where you were wrong. Her Source remains within you. Her strength is added to yours, but it is still _ _ **hers** _ _. It could be taken back or returned, should she will it."_

"And she hasn't, Lucian. She has done nothing but help me since she realized what the Seven had become."

Lucian shook his head in disappointment. _"And you call me deluded. She has survived thousands of years through deceit and lies. She uses you, even now, biding her time. Why hasn't she manifested? Helped you fight? You would have died, and for what?" _His eyes seemed to stare _through_ Vael, taking her measure exactly. _"She bides her time until she can strike and claim the strength for her own."_

Vael shook with anger. "That's... that's not true! You're wrong!"

_"She is a being thousands of years old, Godwoken. She plays the long game as no one else can."_

Vael felt the warmth inside of her beginning to burn, searing up within her. Zorl-Stissa rose to her full fury, bursting from Vael in a flame of rage- but it wasn't directed at Vael. She stared directly at Lucian. "You are wrong."

He bowed his head, Vael couldn't tell if it was genuine respect or mocking her. _"Zorl-Stissa."_

"She is my champion, my chosen. I gave myself to her freely, so that she may rise. One day, one day in the recent past, I may have done as you said. But not now." The Goddess rose up to her full height, taller even than Lucian himself. "You will not speak to her this way."

He shook his head. _"None of this matters. All that ever mattered to me was peace - peace for Rivellon, peace for me, whatever the means. And now, we are on the precipice." _Lucian began to step back away from Vael, lifting his blade into a fighting stance. _"We have made so many sacrifices, Godwoken. All of us. Of ourselves and those we live. Our last sacrifice is required, for the future of Rivellon. You __**must**__ surrender your Source."_

Vael snarled, reaching down to her feet- she'd landed near her old soulforged blade. She didn't know where Anathema had gone, if she could find it... She lifted her blade and stared him down. "Over my dead body."

Zorl-Stissa moved to stand next to Vael. "And mine."

_"There is no other way. I respect you, Godwoken. But I will take your Source. The Source of the world is required to close the Veil. All of the Source. We now lack only yours-_" He nodded to Zorl-Stissa. _"And hers, weak as it is."_

Zorl-Stissa hissed in anger at him, raising her weapons before herself. "Enough, Lucian! Our greatest mistake!"

He looked to Vael with what looked like genuine sadness in his eyes. _"You'll be a hero. Everyone will know of the sacrifice you made. Your name will be synonymous with the survival of Rivellon. I will make sure of that."_

"Never, Lucian." Vael snarled, trying to call her Source to herself, mending her armor the way Zorl-Stissa had shown her. It creaked and groaned in protest, slowly shifting back into place, pulling sharp spikes and torn metal away from her scales. She shuddered as a piece of it pulled free of her until the armor was mended, gleaming in the light that shone from Lucian.

He nodded once. _"I understand. Sacrifice takes courage. But I shall help you. Though it pains me... your sacrifice shall be made for you."_

Lucian's blade crashed down onto her own. Vael felt the whole of her blade vibrate, the weapon bending back under the force - almost ruined in a single strike. She charged him, even still, slamming into his chestplate, actually managing to shove him back a step. Zorl-Stissa sprung in beside her, twin weapons slashing at Lucian, low and high. They knew each other, had been bonded long enough that they recognized how best to fight together.

Vael clobbered him from the side as he was distracted with the weakened Goddess, sending him off balance. Zorl-Stissa's tail whipped into him, knocking him over. His feathery wings flapped once, righting him and pushing him from the ground. He raised a fist and slammed it down, a shockwave rippling out from it that threw the two of them from their feet. He picked up his blade again, advancing on the Goddess. He swung in, blade smashing into her from the side, barely blocked by her glimmering weapons. It hit her so hard that it pushed her several feet across the floor. She struck back, a flurry of blows so strong and so fierce that it began to drive him back. "YOU SHALL NOT HAVE HER."

Vael rushed to her aid, doing what she could with her ruined sword. The blade was warped and bent, she may as well have been hitting him with a stick. "Where is it!? Where did it go!" She hoped Zorl-Stissa knew what she was talking about- if she knew where Anathema was. She'd need the weapon if she was going to defeat Lucian- if she was going to finally take him down.

"The machine! The machine!" Vael could tell Zorl-Stissa was flagging. She'd been living on borrowed time for days now, on what Source Vael could funnel her way. One soul here or there, instead of the feast she'd had in the Hall of Echoes. Still, she fought on, determined to fight to the last. She would prove herself the fittest or die trying.

Vael turned to move when she felt a hand on her shoulder, dragging her back, Lucian's grip like iron. He lifted Vael into the air and tossed her away, sending her flailing with a terrified scream.

_"Oh no you don't." _Lucian pushed back against Zorl-Stissa, measured swings and sheer power slamming into her over and over. Vael pushed herself up from the ground where she'd landed, watching blow after blow push the Goddess back across the floor. She was running out of room. Vael cast her eyes across the floor, looking for the gleaming blade... that's when she saw it, and something else...

Vael pushed herself to her feet, throwing her ruined blade to the side as she began to sprint across the floor toward Anathema.

Lucian reached out for her again, but Zorl-Stissa's twin blades slammed across his arm, causing him to cry out in pain. "Your rule is ended, Lucian!" She began to attack him again, forcing him back, being forced back in turn. They battled as two Gods would, blows rocking the very ground beneath them, shaking and rattling the stones.

Vael skidded across the floor, wrapping one hand around Anathema... and the other around the Aeteran. It had gotten knocked loose from their machine when Braccus had summoned the void and the machine had been destroyed. Vael held both weapons over her head. She could feel the massive power of the Aeteran in her hand, the strength of the Wellspring contained within it. She had it- her claim on Divinity, in her hands at last.

_"NO." _Lucian realized what Vael had done, what she'd found. He raised his blade over his head, ignoring Zorl-Stissa's blades embedding into his back. He lowered his arm and _threw_ his sword at Vael, the massive, runed blade slicing through the air as it tumbled end over end. Vael shifted to dodge it, but she knew she was going to be too late.

There was a loud, arcane sound, a _thwip_ through the air and then the blade slammed home. Vael stared in horror as the blade embedded itself deep into Zorl-Stissa. A shocked, pained expression came over the Goddess' face, a look of disbelief... that this couldn't happen to her. She fell back onto the ground with a hollow, ringing thud... then faded away into Source. Lucian's blade toppled over onto the ground with a ring of steel on stone.

Vael's eyes went wide as she screamed. Screamed in rage. Sadness. Grief. Righteous fury. Lucian would answer for what he had done. There was no turning back now. Vael raised the Aeteran over her head, she slammed Anathema into the ground, burying the crystalline blade's point into the stones to hold it still. She stared at Lucian, the rage well and truly _alive_ within her.

Vael grabbed the Aeteran in both hands and slammed it down over her knee. The great Source-purging wand snapped in two.

An explosion of Source rocked through the summoned expanse.


	73. Divinity

Lucian raised his arms to shield himself from the explosion as Source coursed through the room. It swelled and flowed in an ever-spreading cloud... until it steadily began to draw back upon itself. A figure stood at the center of the storm.

Vael opened her eyes, glowing a faint white, as all the Source the Aeteran had absorbed rushed into her, filling her completely, more than full. She felt like she was going to explode, to burst with the sheer _power _of it all. Her hands, feet began to glow as the Source infused within her, still more rushing to fill her up. She had claimed Divinity, at last.

As the rushing storm subsided, Lucian stared at her in shock. _"No. This cannot be. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT." _He stormed across the floor toward her, scooping his blade from the ground by the hilt as he did. He raised the blade over his head, preparing to bring it down upon Vael with all his might - to smite her from existence.

Vael raised her hand, twisted her torso. Her arm rocketed across with blinding speed, the back of her hand crashing into his face with the force of a thunderclap. A resonating, resounding _boom_ shook their battlefield as Lucian sailed through the air, blade in hand, crashing into the machine to fall into a crumpled heap on the ground.

She raised her hand, staring at it, watching as the glow slowly faded. She looked to Lucian, her glowing eyes meeting his as her own sun began to radiate from her chest - so full of Source it was visible to all. She could see emotion in his eyes, finally. The impassive mask had slipped. What she saw, she knew well - knew very well, like an old friend. 

_Fear._

Vael's hand gripped around the handle of Anathema, pulling the blade from the ground to bring it to hand. The weapon sang like a chorus, echoing in the Source-filled air. It hummed in her hands, it felt _right. _Someone strong enough to unleash it had finally taken it to hand. It was going to be used for its intended purpose, at last. _It was going to kill a God. _

Vael called the Source to her, all the infinite source of Divinity. It was like an endless pool within her, unknowably large, unmeasurably deep. All for her. Flames as solid as armor wreathed her in a shimmering suit. Purest white like the driven snow, so hot that her very steps cracked and burnt the stones beneath her feet. Her armor melted away, joining with the flames, forming a shimmering suit of molten metal. Vael's white eyes shone through a helmet of melded steel and fire, held together by Source so tightly it was impenetrable. 

Anathema swung down, meeting Lucian's own blade with enough force that the impact sent shockwaves through the air. The crystalline blade's song rose in volume until it drowned out everything around. It was so close to fulfilling its purpose!

Vael and Lucian's blows crashed against one another like two continents colliding. They shook the foundations of the Cathedral with their blows. The very platform they stood on began to crash and crumble into the Void from the sheer power being unleashed between them.

Lucian brought his fist back, his blade locked against Anathema. His fist crushed forward, slamming into Vael's head - the blow strong enough that it would have knocked her head clear from her shoulders. But now, it merely rocked her back. She returned the favor in kind. Anathema slipped free of the blade-lock. The hilt slammed forward, catching Lucian just below his chin, clacking his teeth together audibly as his head snapped back.

His blade slammed against Vael's armor. Hers against his. Sparks, molten metal, shards of steel flew between them.

The two titans clashed with such power that the air reverberated with the thunderclaps of their strikes.

One, final blow fell between them. Lucian brought his blade down against Vael, trying to smash Anathema out of her hands. She caught his blade within the ragged, crystalline edge of her own. She twisted, wrenching the blade free of his hands, sending it clattering away across the floor. He stared, dumbfounded at what he saw before him, the lizard readying Anathema for it's one, true strike.

The glowing white crystalline blade plunged forward, smashing through armor, plunging through ribs, flesh, tissue as if it wasn't there. Anathema erupted from Lucian's back, the force of the strike burying it to the hilt, lifting him from the ground as the air left his lungs from the impact. He gasped raggedly for breath as he clutched at the blade shoved through him. It had entered in his abdomen and exited through the upper back, between his shoulder blades.

Lucian's fingers numbly fumbled for the blade's hilt, trying in vain to pull it free, when Vael's hands wrapped around the handle.

She twisted the blade, drawing another gasp of pain from him, then yanked it to the side, pulling it from his chest with a shower of the purest Source, just under his left arm.

As Vael raised Anathema into the air, covered with Lucian's glimmering Source, the blade emitted one last, keening note of triumph before it shattered into millions of fragments, its purpose fulfilled.

Lucian sank to one knee, then to his right, his elbow resting on the ground. Source leaked from him like a sieve, running down beneath his ruined and shattered armor, streaming from his wound. He struggled to rise, but the weight of his own pain left him at gravity's mercy, slowly sinking down onto the ground despite his efforts. _"I... see it now. My time is done. But you - your Source burns so bright I'm all but blinded by it. Be wise and true, Godwoken." _Lucian looked to her, Source beginning to run steadily from his lips - he was starting to drown in the very thing that had fueled him, given him all of his strength, his power. _"I am no hero. But wisdom... and truth... these values I always believed in."_

He fell back, his head barely held above ground. Vael kneeled as his side, lifting his head, holding it up for him. _"How, Lucian?" _Her own voice echoed like his, echoed with the sheer power contained behind it, within it. _"How could you have fallen so far..." _

Lucian had no words for her. The life slowly slipped from him, his head falling back as Vael allowed it to rest. The Source, the Divinity within him, flowed into the only other receptacle it could. Into Vael. She grit her teeth against the strength of it. The power of it. The all-consuming feeling of Lucian's own divinity running through her veins as it melded with what she already had. She rocked back with a quiet groan, she felt full to bursting and there was more to come. It felt like it would shatter her from the inside with the sheer _enormity_ of it. The vast lakes of Source, of _Divinity itself,_ flowed into her. The light within her chest shone more brightly, brighter even than Lucian's, as she had more power than he'd ever had.

Vael's mind shifted back, unbidden, across her journey. The Source itself, like a thing alive, searching her memories, as if it was judging her worth. The will of the Gods who had given Lucian his strength made manifest. She thought of all that she had seen and done. Escaping from Fort Joy. Lohse's death. Freeing Slane. Striking down Alexandar. Driving back Dallis and escaping into the Hall of Echoes, rescuing the Gods.

Driftwood, the Magisters, the Paladins. The Demons. The secrets they'd found in the Blackpits. The Red Prince, Ifan, her companions. All the deeds they'd done together, the people they'd rescued. Mordus, Jahan, Saheila, the Lone Wolves.

The Nameless Isle. Standing against the Gods themselves, willing them to grant her access to the Academy, to the Wellspring. Then the Gods, besting them in combat, Rhalic's last-ditch effort. Her failure to reach the Wellspring in time, whose power coursed through her now all the same.

Her mind flitted back to more recent memories, Kemm, the Deathfog, the Queen, Adramahlihk. 

She thought of the Magisters, her opinions on them, of the Sourcerers they hunted - the good and evil on both sides. The Eternals, come as Voidwoken to reclaim their stolen world. Divinity, coursing through her veins.

Vael thought of what she'd do with such power. The wrongs she'd right. The wars she'd win. The people she'd protect. Her people. Her kin... and all people. They were _all _her people now. She knew it, deep within herself... her old life was over. She might even hold a funeral for it... Going forward her life was no longer her own. She belonged to them, to all of them. She would fight for them, against the Void, against the demons, the Voidwoken, against the things that only she could.

She marveled, internally, at her journey, and how it had changed her. From wanting nothing to do with Divinity, from being a simple scholar, from barely understanding what a Godwoken was, to _this._ She had fought, almost died, struggled against all odds for Divinity. And now it was hers, would she keep it.

Vael knew she didn't have to. She thought back to the schematics she'd seen. The Aeteran, broken in two... she could fix it, as easily as a thought. She could fulfill Lucian's wish, complete Dallis' Grand Design... Or she could claim it, stand as the Divine, as only she could.

She closed her eyes. She breathed in deep.

Vael opened her eyes once again, the glowing white shining from within. She would keep what she had claimed. It would be hers. She would stand as a shield over all the world.

_Divinity._ As it should have always been.


	74. Author's Notes

Warning: Spoilers abound ahead, both for the story and for the game. Don't read on if you don't want to know what happens in either of them.

Hello friends! If you have made it this far, then I would like to personally thank you for reading through the entirety of this story.

Originally I had just planned to write a little bit, the part at the Wellspring and then the final battle, but then I started to think... how did they get there? What were the characters really like? What sacrifices did they make? What sort of journey did they have?

Things quickly got out of hand from there. Before I knew it I was basically writing a novelization of the game, a far cry from the 'couple of scenes' that I had originally intended it to be.

I know that there are people who aren't going to like some of the changes I've made. They aren't going to like what happened with Zorl-Stissa - but the Gods abandoning you at the drop of a hat _for something completely out of your control_ really never sat well with me. I've played through the game 7 times now(the playthrough with Vaeltorya to get all the dialogue makes the 7th, kind of fitting given the story's main subject matter) and every single time I get to the Wellspring, I like it less and less. The game gives you so much choice in how you handle every problem it throws at you, and then all of a sudden all of that is taken away and you are forced into a life or death battle with your god... who fights and acts like every other god in the game. They all react in the same way. They all try to kill you. And then they all turn into a generic doombot that you have to kill at the end. Unfortunately, the Gods don't really get that much of a characterization within the game, even though they're supposed to be 5(for the ones you can be 'chosen by) very different people. I know that I guess some compromises had to be made to ensure everyone followed the same path and got to the same places, but the Wellspring ends up being a moment of frustration rather than a good story beat in my opinion because of it.

Others won't like the origin characters being killed off in favor of an original one. The problem is... we've all played the game. We know their stories already. It wouldn't be as interesting of a story if we just experienced that again, but slightly different. Seeing them as companions, seeing their interactions bouncing off someone new, was something that I thought would be far more interesting. Zorl-Stissa stuck around both for story reasons and to give Vael someone she could still bounce thoughts off of and talk to - and, if you hadn't realized by now, she has a fear of being alone, so fought to keep _someone_ with her the whole way. I also wanted to make it clear that this wasn't going to be a story where you _knew_ who was actually going to be alive at the end. Even the final fight could have gone any way, she could have decided to side with Lucian when he finally appeared. If I didn't make it obvious that people _were _going to die and that things weren't going to go quite as they did in the story in the game, there wouldn't have been as much reason to keep reading, and the story wouldn't have had any tension. Maybe it still doesn't, that's for you to judge.

The real big... 'problem' that I see is that I think people will lose interest around 'Off The Rails' because it's _too_ different. It isn't the same story anymore. But... again, the gods were one of the main 'problems' that I didn't like that I wanted to fix. The other was the ending.

I never liked how Lucian was there from the start. He's one of the weakest of the three characters arrayed against you, aside from his big holy blessing, ... he really doesn't do anything. He's one of the easiest to take down, he doesn't really have many special immunities. He's supposed to be _Divine_ and he's easier to kill than Adramahlihk is. That's the power you're supposed to strive for at the end of the game? I tried to make him feel like an actual threat, to give him actual strength, actual weight within the story when he _does _finally appear.

I hope I managed to write a decent tale. I hope that you enjoyed reading it. I might update this if I think of anything else to add, or if there's a question or something that gets asked of me often. If not... then I just hope you enjoyed the story.

Thank you for reading.


	75. Epilogue

Soft creaking reached her ears as she lay back upon the wood below her. Everything hurt... she couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to honestly say something 'hurt'.

"How long's it been? Three days?" She recognized that voice... memories coming slowly back to her.

"_Two _days, your Highness." She remembered that one too, that... elf woman.

"You know I hate it when you call me that. So, any news?"

"Nothing yet."

"What'd Tarquin say? Did it work?"

"He says it should have worked - look, I still think this was a terrible idea. You really shouldn't be using that much Source on something like this, you have-"

"What's a little Source between friends, okay?"

"_Part of a God _is not 'a little Source'. You really need to think-"

"Malady. Malady." A pause. "Malady. It'll be fine. Where's Tarquin? Have him check again."

She struggled to move, but her limbs refused. They felt like... dead weight, heavy and useless.

"He was just here. He says everything's fine."

"Okay, good. What do we need to do today, where's the Lady going?"

"Sadha wants you back in the Empire-"

"Okay."

"Driftwood's under attack by Voidwoken-"

"Again!? We were just there last week."

"And apparently there's another demon loose in Arx."

"They never learn anything, do they. Look, I'm going to go tell the Lady to head for the Empire, that port town I like. Let me know the moment she wakes up, okay?"

"Ungh, fine. I can't believe you have me babysitting this thing!"

"She's not a thing! She's a friend! Remember that."

Footsteps walking away, creaking heavily up stairs. Just the soft grumbling of the elven woman beside her... she slowly opened her eyes. Golden, glimmering eyes peered up to see Malady looking down at her.

"Well, well, well, my little ex-God friend. You have excellent timing." Malady put a hand on her own hip. "You just missed her, she went upstairs." She groaned as she stalked off toward the stairwell. "Now I have to go get her..."


End file.
